Benefiber Review

What You Should Know

The Food Nutrition Board has recommended that Americans consume at least 38 grams of dietary fiber each day for men and 25 grams for women. However, it is said that Americans only consume about half of the recommended daily amounts of fiber. Most of the fiber in our diets comes from plant sources and has been proven to play an important role in normal bowel function. Desirable sources of soluble fiber include oats, fruits, vegetables, dried peas, and beans as well as legumes. Insoluble fiber does not get digested by the intestines and increases the rapid transit of food out of the body which promotes regularity and softens stools. It has been reported that many people take fiber additives to aid in weight loss. Diets that are high in fiber have been said to improve the body’s ability to rid the body of waste thus shortening the length of time that food remains in the body thus possibly promoting weight loss.

List of Ingredients

The active ingredient found in Benefiber is Wheat Dextrin. Wheat Dextrin is a natural soluble fiber which is marketed as a gluten-free product due its low levels of gluten, only 10 ppm of gluten is found in Wheat Dextrin.

Product Features

Each serving of Benefiber is said to contain 3 grams of fiber. Benefiber comes in several forms such as chewables, caplets and powders, including the new berry flavored powder which contains calcium. The regular powdered form of the supplement is marketed as “sugar free” and taste free” and can be virtually added to any food or drink and promises not to change the taste, texture, or consistency. In fact, the official Benefiber website contains a list of recipes which contain Benefiber in its list of ingredients. There are soups, sauces, and dips, salads, main dishes, desserts, and snacks as well as smoothie drinks. In addition, Benefiber promises not to have the normal “gritty” texture found in many over the counter fiber supplements. The official website even posts tips on how to increase your daily intake of fiber through adding certain types of foods to your diet.

Advantages

• Each serving of Benefiber adds 3 grams of needed fiber to your diet.
• Benefiber is all natural and contains no potentially harmful ingredients.

Disadvantages

• Some reported side effects associated with taking Benefiber include flatulence, gastrointestinal pain, discomfort, diarrhea, nausea, stomach upset, as well as stomach pressure resulting in a “full” feeling.
• Benefiber does not promote thermogenisis within the body to aid in weight loss.
• Benefiber does not contain a fat burner in its ingredients.

Conclusion

Most of the processed food that Americans consume has been virtually stripped of any fiber and nutritional content and dietary fiber has been shown to play a role in the body’s ability to regulate its digestive system to a more “normal” function which helps the body to “move” food through the digestive tract at a faster rate. This may in fact aid in weight loss however a diet rich in foods that contain high levels of fiber are a much better source. However it must be said that Benefiber may give the same desired results without the extra calories.