A stealth health approach to dietary fibre

Authors

P. Stephen Baenziger, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow
Katherine Anna Frels, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Steve Greenspan, Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food
Julie Jones, College of St. Catherine
Alison Lovegrove, Rothamsted Research
Devin J. Rose, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Peter Shewry, Rothamsted Research
Rod Wallace, Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food

Date of this Version

12-16-2022

Citation

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00674-w

Comments

Used by permission.

Abstract

Average dietary fibre intakes have increased little in the past twenty years in many countries, including the USA¹ . Multi-million-dollar campaigns promoting fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods high in fibre have delivered only small changes in diets² , and consumers have not changed from traditional staples to whole-grain options³ . UK millers report that consumption of whole-wheat bread has actually declined over the past decade (P. Shewry, personal communication). In the US, white flour, which is lower in fibre than whole-wheat flour, accounts for nearly 40% of the fibre intake⁴ . We believe that as motivating consumers to change food choices has proven difficult, changing food itself — a so-called stealth health approach — could be a useful strategy to increase fibre in the foods people choose to eat.