Fiber: The Next Food Industry MacrotrendWhy food brands should pay more attention to the most overlooked macronutrient

Remember the rise of oat bran, and how everyone was really into antioxidants a few years ago? Ever wonder why so many foods seem to be yuzu-flavored right now? What about how every food product now wants to point out how much protein is inside it? You're noticing food trends.

预测下一个大food trend— and moving on it to create competitive advantage before consumer behavior changes — is a perennial food industry obsession. For many brands, hitting the right one at the right time is what defines success. Sustainable sourcing, plant-based eating and sugar reduction are all examples of current food industry macrotrends.

Related:This Brand Provides Healthy Plant-based Nutrition

Coming out of the global pandemic, people are more interested than ever in managing and safeguarding their own health, and one of the core ways we do that is through a focus on the macronutrients in our foods. This represents a growing opportunity forfood brands.

Fiber is an overlooked macronutrient

The food industry has long focused on reducing sugar, carbs and fat content in packaged foods. More recently, it has focused intently on increasingprotein content. However, protein deficiencies are so rare in North America and Europe that they don't even have a precise English name — "kwashiorkor" is actually a Ghanian word for protein-related malnutrition.

In contrast, the one macronutrient that's most often ignored on our supermarket shelves is the one consumers and food formulators ought to pay the most attention to. I'm talking, of course, about fiber.

Fiber offers the biggest opportunity to become the food macrotrend of the future.

Like protein deficiency, we don't have a word for fiber deficiency, but we should. Unlike protein deficiency, almost every American today suffers from a fiber deficiency — studies show that95% of Americans consume lessthan their daily recommended amount, eating on average only half as much fiber as they should. TheMayo Clinic recommends21 to 25 grams of fiber a day for women, and 30 to 38 daily grams for men.

Unfortunately, fiber deficiency contributes to an epidemic of non-communicable diseases and the rising health care costs that go with them. TheUS Center for Disease Controlreports that in the U.S., cardiovascular disease costs $216 billion per year and causes $147 billion in lost productivity. That's not the worst, though. One of every four health care dollars goes to treating diabetes, which tops the non-communicable disease expense chart with an annual spend of $237 billion on direct medical costs alone.

Making up the difference isn't simply a matter of downing an extra scoop of bran flakes. Fiber is naturally found in plant-based foods, but you need to scarf down a lot to hit the recommended daily 30 grams. A sample menu might include one oat bran muffin (5 grams), one cup chopped boiled broccoli (another 5 grams), one medium pear and a medium apple (4.5 and 5.5 grams, respectively), a raw carrot (1 gram), two slices of whole wheat bread (4 grams), 1 cup of chopped raw cauliflower (2 grams) and one cup of strawberries for dessert (3 grams).

Fiber appeals to health-conscious consumers

If the food industry invests in fiber, that proverbial ounce (or rather 30 grams) of prevention could lead to greater overall health outcomes. The research shows it clearly: Eating more fiber helps ensure better health.

According toHarvard University, eating sufficient amounts of fiber can lower the risk of developing "heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation," and that it also appears that fiber may act as an anti-inflammatory in patients with these conditions. This research is backed by numerous studies worldwide.

Researchers also note that fiber is a natural and effective way toremove toxinsfrom the body. Plus, byregulating the body's glycemic response, it provides other beneficial effects, such as lower blood sugar.

Related:Study: Low-Fiber Diets Could Be Messing With Gut Bacteria Diversity

One of the most promising ways in which fiber's benefits are beginning to be communicated is through the impact on gut health. We need fiber to help our digestive systems function properly. AsLaura Entis wrote in狗万官方, "the low-fiber, highly processed diets so common in our industrial society may be depleting the diversity of our microbiomes."

That's because the fiber we eat creates a happy habitat that feeds ourgut microbiota, the bacteria that live in our intestines and contribute to our overall health. In fact, researchers also keep finding stronger links between gut health and mental health, particularly with foods that are considered prebiotic. Prebiotic foods contain fiber that creates the ideal conditions for gut flora, setting our digestive systems up for optimal performance.

Astudy led by Dr. Ali Boolani物理学系的研究员席拉py and the Department of Biology at Clarkson University, found that gut flora can actually affect a person's mood. In addition, Boolani and colleagues reported an imbalance in gut flora contributes topersistent fatigue, which affects about 45% of the American population. "What you eat determines the bacteria and the microbiome in your gut," Boolani toldSci News.

许多公司领导弗伦联盟t. One is Gutsii, which makes prebiotic chocolate using inulin, a fiber found in many fruits and vegetables. Other companies have signed on to various initiatives to include more fiber, including the UK's Food and Drink Federation's Action on Fiber initiative.

For me, I've spent my career as a carbohydrate scientist developing new ways to access and useplant fiberfrom otherwise underutilized sources and have made it the foundation of my work at The Supplant Company. It's clear to me that fiber has been, until now, the least-appreciated macronutrient. And yet, it's essential to human health, the most abundant biological resource on the planet and the most abundant product of our food system.

As more people come to realize the benefits of getting enough fiber in their diets, and as more companies start to find ways to meet consumer demand for additional fiber in their food, we'll see that fiber offers fertile ground for the next wave of food entrepreneurs — especially those seeking to promote human health.

Related:5 Nutrients You Need For Optimal Growth and Performance