What's in Your Fiber Supplement? Using the Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) to Evaluate Your Fiber Supplement

Abstract

BackgroundDietary fibers promote gut health and reducerisk for diseases, including cancer. Few Americans consume enough high fiberfoods to meet their requirements without consuming fiber‐containing dietary supplements (FCDS). Differing fibers may exert differing effects on health and disease risk. Fermentability of these fiber components may also influence microbial GI composition. Greater understanding of the fiber constituents found in commonly consumed FCDS are needed to enable consumers and health care professionals to make better health promotion choices.ObjectiveTo describe fiber constituents in FCDS currently marketed in the U.S.MethodWe searched the dietary supplement label database (DSLD) using the American Association of Cereal Chemists definition of dietary fiber constituents and their sub‐classifications as ingredients for FCDS. The fiber constituent threshold for inclusion was FCDS containing ≥ 0.1g fiber per serving.ResultsDSLD yielded over 4,300 FCDS products. Pectins were the most common fiber constituent occurring in 289 products, followed by gums (203 products). Polyfructose and hemicellulose were absent from FCDS, but inulin and arabinogalactans were found in 94 and 67 products, respectively. Only 30 products contained cellulose; fewer FCDS contained mucilages (8 products) or galactooligosaccharides (3 products). No FCDS products marketed in the U.S. contained oligiofructans or arabinoxylans as a fiber constituent. These data suggest non‐starch based polysaccharides and resistant oligosaccharides comprisea smaller than expected share of the FCDS sold in the U.S.ConclusionOur findings suggest DS manufacturers may rely more heavily on carbohydrates structurally analogous to dietary fibers found in nature fiber constituents for FCDS sold in the U.S.Support or Funding InformationDSLD is supported by the Office of Dietary Supplements, and National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.