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November 30, 2004
This week - cooking with Acacia Tummy Fiber
Hello to everyone -
I have a tremendously exciting announcement this week! The ongoing clinical research trial of the Eating for IBS dietary guidelines has been expanded, and you are invited to participate. This is a unique chance to have your say about how IBS truly affects your life, how you can make positive changes, and to help many others with IBS as well. If you've ever been frustrated by a doctor who couldn't give you good IBS dietary information, here's your chance to make a real change to the status quo.
As always, we also have a wealth of new digestive health research findings. Enjoy!
Best Wishes,
Heather Van Vorous
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Winter Squash & White Bean Soup
Makes 6 Servings
3 level T Acacia Tummy Fiber (optional)
1/2 C plain soy milk
2 T olive oil
5 soy or low fat turkey bacon slices (such as Smart Bacon or Fakin Bacon)
1 C chopped onion
2/3 C chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 generous cups cubed peeled butternut squash
4 C low sodium veggie or fat free chicken broth
1 t ground cumin
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
1/2 t smoked paprika (or plain paprika)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 t dried oregano
3/4 t salt
1/4 black pepper
1/4 C raisins, chopped
2 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern white beans
3 T sherry
Add Acacia Tummy Fiber to a small bowl and stir in soy milk with a fork. Set aside.
In a large stock pot heat olive oil over medium heat, add chopped soy bacon slices, and cook until crisp. Add onion, celery, and garlic, and cook several minutes until tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Add squash, and cook several minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and smoked paprika. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Restir Acacia and soy milk mixture, and stir into soup along with vinegar, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, raisins, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until beans are very tender. Stir in sherry and serve.
If you wish, you can puree some or all of this soup before serving - this will break down the insoluble fiber further, and make the soup even safer for IBS.
For oodles of other delicious recipes, come visit the IBS Recipe Exchange board!
Are you just learning how to eat for IBS? A little intimidated at the thought of special IBS recipes? Not quite sure just what makes these recipes special in the first place? Don't worry! Come see
the IBS Diet pages, and find the answers to all your questions.
You Can Join the IBS Diet Study!
I am beyond excited to ask for your participation in the ongoing clinical trial of the dietary guidelines original to the book Eating for IBS. Dr. Noel Hershfield, a gastroenterologist in Calgary, Canada, is a physician who has been researching the effects of the IBS diet on his patients for over a year now, and he is looking to expand his study - please join in!
Interestingly, Dr. Hershfield began the study after having a dramatic reduction in his own IBS symptoms after adjusting his diet to the Eating for IBS guidelines. His own personal success at overcoming symptoms through diet, plus the realization that IBS clinical research has so far almost completely ignored dietary influences, sparked his determination to conduct the study. He's a doctor who truly understands what you're going through, and who's trying to give other IBS sufferers genuine help. I'd like to urge everyone who has already adopted the Eating for IBS diet, or who has been considering trying it, to please support the study and share your experiences.
All you have to do is fill out the study questionnaires and fax them to Dr. Hershfield. You can participate anonymously if you don't want to give your name or any contact information, and all study participant questionnaires are kept strictly confidential by Dr. Hershfield.
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a truly groundbreaking study, one which could fundamentally change the way all physicians treat their IBS patients. Come be a part of the revolution!
A Gene for Diarrhea-Predominant IBS in Women?
The aim of this study in Gut was to assess the potential association between SERT polymorphisms and the diarrhoea predominant IBS (dIBS) phenotype. A total of 194 North American Caucasian female dIBS patients and 448 female Caucasian controls were subjected to genotyping.
A strong genotypic association was observed between the SERT-P deletion/deletion genotype and the dIBS phenotype, leading to the conclusion that the serotonin transporter is a potential candidate gene for dIBS in women.
Go here for more
information about this study...
Symptom Patterns in Functional Dyspepsia & IBS
The aim of this recent study in Gut was to assess the relationship between gastric motor and sensory function and symptom patterns in community subjects and patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The study recruited 291 asymptomatic blood donors, 151 symptomatic blood donors (recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort), and 40 patients with FD or IBS. The study concluded that gastric emptying and the global symptom response to a standardised nutrient challenge are abnormal in population based (non-health care seeking) subjects with dyspepsia, but not abnormal in patients with IBS.
Go here for more
information about this study...
Psyllium Increases Gas Production & Gas Retention
This study in Gut investigated the effects of a high psyllium diet on intestinal gas transit in healthy volunteers. The study concluded that consumption of a high psyllium fibre diet retards intestinal gas transit by decreasing bolus propulsion to the rectum. In addition to increasing gas production by colonic flora, psyllium fibre ingestion may also elicit gaseous symptoms by promoting gas retention.
Go here for more
information about this study...
For a better alternative to psyllium, go here to learn about Acacia Tummy Fiber, the prebiotic fiber that can help reduce bloating and gas.
Advances in the Treatment of Chronic Constipation
Chronic constipation is a common clinical problem. It generally refers to unsatisfactory defecation, as defined in terms of alterations in the frequency, size, consistency, and ease of passage of stool. Although reports of prevalence vary depending on whether estimates are derived from self-reports or are based on the Rome criteria, chronic constipation accounts for approximately 2.5 million physician visits each year in the United States. Medscape spoke with Lawrence R. Schiller, MD, Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, to discuss the clinical impact of this problem upon the patient and the healthcare industry alike, and the current challenges facing the physician treating the patient with chronic constipation.
Go here for more
information...
Increased Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Why?
A recent opinion in Gastoenterology states that it is now apparent that the increase in the incidence of autoimmune and allergic diseases in Western countries is explained by the decrease in infections. The question is posed to determine whether a similar explanation can be proposed for the increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease. Converging clinical and experimental data strongly suggest the protective nonspecific role of infections on inflammatory bowel disease independently from the triggering role of some specific bacteria. The extension to inflammatory bowel disease of the hygiene hypothesis opens new perspectives including the revisiting of probiotics and other forms of exposure to bacteria or parasite components.
Go here for more
information...
Looking for the latest IBS research and news?
Check out the IBS Research Library!
Cooking with Acacia Tummy Fiber
I know I can add Acacia to moist foods that are ready to eat, but can I actually use it in recipes when I'm cooking? How would I do that?
Yes, you can absolutely cook with Acacia Tummy Fiber, and in fact this is a wonderful (and easy!) way to increase the soluble fiber in your diet. I've been playing around in the kitchen with this a lot lately, and have had only successful results. Acacia is odorless and tasteless, and it will not thicken or gel liquids, so it's virtually undetectable in soups, breads, pasta sauces, desserts, and more.
One of the simplest ways to cook with Acacia is to add it to soup, as in the Winter Squash Soup recipe featured above. Try adding about 1 level tablespoon of Acacia for every two servings the recipe makes - this will likely be about 3-4 level tablespoons of Acacia for a large pot of soup or stew. A foolproof method of incorporating the Acacia into the soup without any lumps or bumps is to simply add the Tummy Fiber to a small cup or bowl first, and then whisk in about 1/2 cup of liquid. If you set aside this fiber mixture for a few minutes, and then re-stir, you'll have a perfectly smooth liquid you can then add to your soup pot. Acacia does not change when it's heated or cooled, so you can safely bring it to a boil in soup or other liquids, or chill it and re-heat later, without any problems at all.
If you'd like to try a dessert recipe, the decadently rich Chocolate Silk Pudding is an easy option. Simply whisk 3 level tablespoons of Acacia Tummy Fiber into the rest of the dry ingredients, and continue from there. That's all there is to it. You could add Acacia in a similar manner to any other pudding, custard, tart, or pie filling. I'm not sure the extra soluble fiber will then qualify a dessert as truly healthy, but it sure won't hurt!
If you'd like to bake with Acacia, this is an easy option as well. You may have to add smaller amounts of the fiber to bread and cake recipes than to things like soups and custards, because Acacia does have an effect on doughs. The great news is that many of these effects are actually so desirable that commercial bakers often use Acacia just for this purpose.
In baking, Acacia is a moisture stabilizer, a shelf-life extender, a mold inhibitor, and a dough conditioner. It can improve the texture and mouthfeel of products by holding a small additional
amount of moisture in the products, and it can really improve products that go through a freeze/thaw or freeze/cook process. Acacia is low-viscosity and does not gel or swell, so it doesn't affect the flow of the batter or dough. Acacia holds up under the heat of an oven, as it's a very stable molecule which is almost impossible to breakdown.
With all of these benefits, and the fact that it's an all-natural source of soluble dietary fiber, you can see why Acacia is being used by commercial bakers. But, you'll get all the same benefits when baking at home, and you can make sure your recipes are IBS friendly as well.
The general rule of thumb when using Acacia in baking is to add a percentage that's based upon the amount of dry ingredients. You can add anywhere from .5% to 2% Acacia relative to the dry ingredients. In practical terms, this means that for a bread or cake recipe with 2 cups of flour you can add 1 level teaspoon to 1 level tablespoon of Acacia. If you add too much Acacia your bread can turn out gummy, so measure carefully (always a good idea when baking, even without Acacia).
I've had great luck adding one tablespoon of Acacia to the dry ingredients for bread and cake recipes that make one 9 x 5" loaf. A perfect way to try this for yourself is with everyone's perennial favorite, Peppermint Fudge Cake. I wouldn't have thought there was a way to improve upon this recipe, which is already moist, rich, delicious, low fat, dairy free, and even soothes the digestion with pure peppermint extract. But being able to effortlessly add even more soluble fiber to the recipe is, well, the icing on the cake!
Finally, if you don't even want to bother with recipes, you can simply sprinkle Acacia into prepared foods and it will disappear. This works beautifully for everything from tuna fish sandwiches to pasta dishes, from hot cereals to casseroles. There's no easier way to get the extra soluble fiber you need to keep your IBS stable.
~ Heather
Wondering about soluble fiber supplements like Acacia Tummy Fiber, and how exactly they help manage global IBS symptoms? There's comprehensive information here. Remember that you need to base your diet on soluble fiber foods as well, and you can learn exactly what this means right here.
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