werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (10/21/85)
According to this week's New York Times, the source of fiber in many
high fiber breads/foods is Wood Pulp.
Not only is wood pulp a legally acceptable source of fiber (cellulose)
but it is also legal to label such products as 'All-natural', since trees fall
in that category.
Not only that, there is probably nothing medically wrong with getting
dietary fiber in that form. It is more or less chemically indistinguishable,
and well worth eating, since consuming Fiber in lieu of other things is good
for your health.
So: the above is just for your information, and some of you are
probably cursing me out under your breath for ruining the taste of your food.
Don't worry - you'll get over it. :-)
--
Craig Werner
!philabs!aecom!werner
"The end. 94. 95. The very, very, very end."wws@ukma.UUCP (Bill Stoll) (10/26/85)
In article <1959@aecom.UUCP>, werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) writes: > > According to this week's New York Times, the source of fiber in many > high fiber breads/foods is Wood Pulp. Those of us whose profession it is to keep up with these facts were aware of the wood fiber >2 years ago. It surely does take a long time to get out to the public doesn't it? > Not only is wood pulp a legally acceptable source of fiber (cellulose) > but it is also legal to label such products as 'All-natural', since trees fall > in that category. > Not only that, there is probably nothing medically wrong with getting > dietary fiber in that form. It is more or less chemically indistinguishable, > and well worth eating, since consuming Fiber in lieu of other things is good > for your health. For the past >60 years, the conventional medical wisdom was that: Since fiber was inert and undigestible it was of no value whatsoever. In fact, it was harmful to people with colitis and other chronic intestinal conditions. Finally, about 2 years ago the great discovery was made that fiber may well be the single most important thing in our diet--health food nuts right again! It looks like the only people that wood fiber is going to be helpful to are the ones whose ancestors lived on wood for the past million years or so. Those who are benefited by grain fiber had ancestors who ate grain. Beware of simplistic thinking: just because the fiber is "more or less chemically indistinguishable" has little or nothing to do with how it works. Come on, Craig Werner, lets see your reference that says: "there is probably nothing medically wrong with getting dietary fiber in that form". All the references that I have seen say the opposite. -- cbosgd!ukma!wws(Walt Stoll) YOU Walt Stoll, MD, ABFP Founder & Medical Director ARE MORE Holistic Medical Centre 1412 North Broadway Lexington, Kentucky 40505 THAN YOU THINK (606) 233-4273
sra@oddjob.UUCP (Scott R. Anderson) (10/30/85)
In article <2338@ukma.UUCP> wws@ukma.UUCP (Bill Stoll) writes: >In article <1959@aecom.UUCP>, werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) writes: >> >> According to this week's New York Times, the source of fiber in many >> high fiber breads/foods is Wood Pulp. > >Those of us whose profession it is to keep up with these facts were >aware of the wood fiber >2 years ago. It surely does take a long time >to get out to the public doesn't it? I am not in the "profession", but I also was aware of this > 2 years ago. The real shame is that this practice is dictated by economics: it is cheaper to use white flour and add wood pulp to increase the fiber than it is to leave the fiber in in the first place! Unfortunately, judging by the mass media, there is now a fiber-fad (e.g. "Fruit and Fiber" cereal); adding wood pulp allows one to increase the fiber content far beyond what one would get from a normal whole-grain diet. I would not be at all surprised if this "more is better" attitude leads to as many problems as the deficiency of fiber. Scott Anderson ihnp4!oddjob!kaos!sra
mcewan@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (11/01/85)
>> According to this week's New York Times, the source of fiber in many >> high fiber breads/foods is Wood Pulp. > > Those of us whose profession it is to keep up with these facts were > aware of the wood fiber >2 years ago. It surely does take a long time > to get out to the public doesn't it? I first heard of this over 8 years ago. It sure does take a long time to get out to "those of us whose profession it is to keep up with these facts", doesn't it. Scott McEwan {ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!mcewan "You can't have everything. Where would you put it?"
smuga@mtuxo.UUCP (j.smuga) (11/01/85)
Jane Brody's Nutrition Book (1981) has a chapter on fiber that includes the following statement: "However, finely ground wood fiber used in some breads is constipating." I don't know what grounds Brody had for that claim; generally I rely on her book for sound information. -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Janet Smuga I've had a great many troubles in my time, ihnp4!mtuxo!smuga and most of them never happened. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -