7% of people get enough fiber

“The Seven Per-Cent Solution” is a mystery that offers intriguing insights into Sherlock Holmes’ psychology, eccentricities — and addiction to a 7% solution of cocaine.

We hope you’ll find it just as entertaining to try to unravel the mystery of — and find a solution for — the fact that an average of only 7% of you are taking in enough fiber every day.

An analysis of nutritional data from 14,640 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2018 was presented at NUTRITION 2021 Live. It shows that a paltry 8.6% of guys and 11.5% of gals with diabetes — and 4.3% of guys and 8% of gals without diabetes — get an adequate intake of daily fiber. That means most of you are losing out on a powerful way to fight obesity, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, brain fog and certain cancers.

Fiber shows up in whole fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, 100% whole grains and cereals, and legumes — and is stripped out of processed foods like chips, white bread and pasta, pizza and premade meals. If you eat whole grains — two servings a day — and seven to nine servings of produce, you will get the 38 grams of fiber that is officially recommended on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.

Your rewards are improved digestion, a healthier gut biome and a boost to your immune system; you’ll lose weight; inflammation decreases; and your risk for a roster of chronic diseases plummets.

Now that’s a nearly 100% solution.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.