32 Million Americans on High Protein Diets May Not Be Getting Enough Fiber

Nearly 32 million Americans are estimated to be on high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, according to an extrapolation from a new survey. However, researchers say most of the dieters are unaware that they not getting enough fiber.

Fifteen percent of the 2,000 adults surveyed said they were on such diets. But by limiting foods that contain carbohydrates, these dieters generally obtain less than the current recommended intake of fiber, according to researcher Joanne Slavin.

The most popular diet named by the respondents was Atkins (35%), followed by the South Beach Diet (6%) and Zone (1%). Other respondents said they were following a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet specified by their doctor (12%).

Slavin, a food science and nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota, said Americans get less than half the recommended intake of dietary fiber, noting that the deficit is even worse for those following popular low-carbohydrate diets.

Last year, for the first time since 1941, the Food and Nutrition Board recommended that men consume 38 grams of dietary fiber per day and women 25 grams per day. The Food and Drug Administration currently recommends a daily allowance of 25 grams of fiber for both men and women.

According to Slavin, the daily fiber grams that those on the Zone diet consume is 18, while those on the South Beach Diet and Atkins diet consume from three to eight grams to six to 13 grams of fiber daily, respectively.

Despite the fiber deficits of the diets, 67% of respondents on the
diets said they believed they were getting enough fiber, while 13%said they weren't and 19% weren't sure.

"People on low-carbohydrate diets need to realize these diets fall far short of current recommendations for fiber intake, and find ways to increase their fiber consumption," said Dr. Slavin, adding that fiber supplements can be especially helpful.

Other sources: Novartis Consumer Health, Inc.