Why High Protein Diets Are a Boon for the Fiber Supplement Industry

We all need fiber for our digestive systems to function properly. Doctors recommend at least 25 grams for women aged 50 or younger and 38 grams for men in the same range. Yet one study found 95% of Americans consume less than the recommended amount. Though that particular study is over a decade old, not much has changed. Health experts continue to warn that most of us don’t get enough fiber, a problem not helped by Americans’ insatiable appetite for protein. This problem has also turned out to be an opportunity. Enter the billion-dollar fiber supplement industry.

Fiber is abundantly found in whole plant-based foods. But consumers who follow a high-protein, meat-heavy diet like keto, paleo and carnivore typically end up taking in much less fiber than what most doctors recommend — or even none at all. Of the three, the carnivore diet is the most restrictive, allowing no grains, legumes or produce (both keto and paleo do allow for some sources of fiber, albeit limited ones).

A persistent lack of fiber can cause digestive issues, and social media channels are rife with firsthand accounts. “I just started a carnivore diet back in December,” writes one social media user. Since then, the commenter continued, “I have only passed stool maybe three times.”

According to another: “I’m doing all the recommended protocols for constipation — magnesium, water, salt, melted fat — but it’s like the gut completely stopped working without fiber.”

Adam Gabbatt, who writes for The Guardian, also tried the carnivore diet and described it as “punishingly awful,” even noting that the experience at the start, including the constipation, is commonly known as the “trough of despair.”

These are not isolated incidents. Around 2.5 million people in the U.S. visit their doctor each year due to constipation, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.

It’s not surprising then that more people than ever are turning to supplements to ‘flush the gut’ or ‘cleanse the colon,’ as wellness influencers and marketers say. The global digestive health market is projected to yield $8 billion in revenue by the end of 2033, up from $4 billion in 2022, according to Research Nester.

The industry’s market growth, the group notes, “is primarily driven by the rise in digestive disorders including irritable bowel syndrome, constipation” and others. Within that broad market, the more specific digestive health supplement sector is also booming, worth over $10.5 million globally in 2022, and forecasted to grow to over $23 million by the end of 2033.

Most digestive supplements are in fact made up of plant ingredients: fruits, vegetables, seeds, grains and herbs, sometimes with bacteria and/or enzymes, and blended up and concentrated into capsules or powders. But as Kirsten Jackson, a consultant gut health dietitian and founder of The Food Treatment Clinic explains, the benefits of a high-fiber diet cannot simply be replaced with supplements. For most people, she says, “having fiber via food is actually far more beneficial because they also then gain the micronutrients contained within these foods.”

Though the protein craze seems to persist, most Americans are already consuming too much of it, according to nutrition experts. What most people are deficient in is fiber. And it turns out that turning to viral supplement brands promising to cut the constipation and banish the bloat may not be the solution. Consuming enough fiber from plant foods though, notes Jackson, is “paramount for your body to be able to produce” . . . well, you know.