Low-Carb Dieters Open to New Ideas When it Comes to Health

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 06 Dec 2004 - 15:00 PDT


Low-carb dieters have faced their fair share of criticism in recent years from opponents who deem their way of life as unhealthy. But a recent NOP World Roper Reports article reveals that they are actually more likely than the rest of the population to explore alternative diet and health techniques.

According to Roper Reports, low-carb dieters are more likely than the general public to try diet and health approaches such as vitamins, oat bran, massage therapy, herbal remedies, yoga, meditation, aroma therapy and soluble fiber therapy.

"This willingness to try new methods suggests that people on low-carb diets may be more aware of their total well-being and prone to taking the extra steps necessary to optimize it," says Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., a nationally renowned nutrition expert and author of Fight Fat After Forty (Viking Penguin). "In addition, some of these approaches may also help to diminish side effects that can result from eating low-carb."

For example, one of the most common side effects of low-carb dieting is irregularity, which is one reason why low-carb dieters may be more likely to supplement their diets with soluble fiber therapy. Roper Reports indicates that while only nine percent of the total public takes soluble fiber, 22 percent of low-carb dieters are likely to do so.

"A limited consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other sources of fiber can cause significant changes in bowel habits," Peeke explains. "Irregularity is often accompanied by cramps, bloating, headache, backache and tiredness, and this discomfort often leads low-carb dieters to seek relief by taking fiber therapy, a convenient and effective way to boost fiber intake in order to become regular."

Low-carb dieters should be warned, however, that many soluble fiber products contain carbohydrates, which can derail low-carb dieters who are restricted in the total carbs they are allowed to consume each day, notes Peeke.

A good choice of soluble fiber for low-carb dieters is Citrucel(R) caplets, which contain zero carbohydrates per dose. In addition, Citrucel caplets help dieters stay regular without excess gas or bloating; their main ingredient -- methylcellulose -- is derived from natural plant fiber and doesn't ferment in the digestive tract like other common bulk fiber sources, such as psyllium.

In addition to fiber, a strict low-carb diet may not provide the recommended daily intake of other essential nutrients like vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and calcium, so dieters may be more apt to supplement with vitamins to make sure their bodies get what they need. According to Roper Reports, 80 percent of low-carb dieters take vitamins, compared with 67 percent of the total public who do.

"Whether on a strict diet plan or not, most Americans find it difficult to get the nutrients they need from food alone," says Peeke. "When you begin a diet that limits something as key as carbohydrates, taking such things as multivitamins, calcium supplements and fiber products becomes necessary to maintain good health."

Peeke says that low-carb dieters who explore new approaches to health and fitness are on the right track to achieve optimal health, and that the rest of the population should take note.

"There's more to the low-carb lifestyle than just eliminating sugars and starches," she says. "Exploring new methods to improve health can help low- carb dieters and the general population alike achieve their long-term diet and fitness goals."

About Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Pamela Peeke, a nationally recognized expert and speaker in the fields of nutrition and fitness, is a Pew Foundation Scholar in Nutrition and Metabolism; Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine; and adjunct senior scientist at the National Institutes of Health. She is also team physician for the NBA's Washington Wizards and a faculty member at the American College of Sports Medicine.

With a blend of wit, wisdom and humor that makes fitness, metabolism and nutrition easy to digest, Dr. Peeke has distinguished herself as one of the main in-studio experts for "The Today Show" and CNN. In addition, she pens monthly columns for O, The Oprah Magazine; Good Housekeeping; Prevention; Shape; and Allure magazines. She is also one of the doctors that Oprah Winfrey relies on for medical information on her nationally syndicated show.

In addition, Dr. Peeke's nationally syndicated Food Network show, "Cooking Thin" is the top rated food and health show on television.

About Citrucel

Citrucel is 100% soluble fiber derived from a natural source. Unlike other fibers, Citrucel's unique fiber will not ferment, so it won't cause excess gas. Available in great-tasting orange powder, unflavored Clear Mix, and convenient Caplets, Citrucel restores and maintains regularity naturally.

For more information on Citrucel products, visit http://www.citrucel.com or call 1-800-897-6081.

About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is one of the world's largest over- the-counter healthcare products companies and ranks second globally in sales of oral care products. Its more than 30 well-known products include such medicine cabinet staples as Aquafresh(R) toothpastes and toothbrushes, Nicorette(R), NicoDerm (R) CQ, Os-Cal(R), Sensodyne(R) and TUMS(R).

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline -- one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

http://www.citrucel.com

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