How low-carb diets disrupt your stomach
TRENDY low-carb diets are fuelling a rise in stomach problems among younger people, nutrition experts have warned.
Carbohydrates have fallen out of fashion among millennials and this has had the knock-on effect of reducing the amount of fibre they eat.
Fibre is vital for stomach health and is linked to lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and bowel cancer.
Research has found more than two thirds (67 per cent) of millennials – those born from the early eighties to the late 1990s – have experienced stomach problems such as bloating, diarrhoea and constipation within the last year, compared with 33 per cent of British adults of all ages.
More than half of millennials (55 per cent) with problems said they had symptoms at least once a week and three quarters of younger people with stomach problems said that it had a negative impact on their mood and emotional wellbeing.
2,000 The British Happy adults, Gut Survey commissioned of by breakfast cereal maker Kellogg’s, found that while 55 per cent of people believed they met the recommended daily fibre intake, in fact just 8 per cent was eating the NHS-recommended level of 30g per day.
Dietician Jo Travers, author of The Low Fad Diet, said: ‘The trend towards diets that restrict carbs, such as the millennial-favourite keto regime [high fats, low carbs] , also means considerably restricting fibre intake. ‘This is not only highly concerning for the increased risk of coronary diseases but also for the gut which needs dietary fibre to nourish its good bacteria. With emerging bodies of research showing the impact the gut has on our overall health and emotional wellbeing, looking after it with nourishing fibre-rich foods is extremely important and carb- cutting is therefore ill-advised.’
Earlier research by the International Food Information Council Foundation reveals that around one in six of those aged 18 to 34 are on a low-carb diet. Another study by Insider magazine says a third of millennials say they want to be on one.
Last month, a report for the World Health organisation found eating fibre in ‘good’ carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread, cereals and pasta, helped reduce the risk of heart disease and early death.
But researchers warned it would be difficult to ensure people were eating enough because of ‘ popular diets’ including the keto, Atkins and paleo – or caveman – diets, which all recommend cutting carbohydrates.
Around a quarter of all consumers believe eating carbs is directly linked to weight gain, according to the IFIC.
Matt Perkins, nutritionist at Kellogg’s, said: ‘The most common issues with a diet lacking in fibre are the least glamorous. Symptoms such as sluggish bowels, constipation, and runny stools can all mean you’re not getting enough – making you feel lethargic and miserable.’
‘Lethargic and miserable’