Needing to food fortification in overcoming dietary fiber intake deficiency in type 2 diabetic patients

A high fiber intake has been reported to be associated with improve glycemic control status in diabetic patients. To evaluate the dietary fiber intake among Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes and compare to the recommended adequate intake of fiber, we conducted a cross-sectional study including 152 patients attending the nutrition clinic in Ardabil city. All patients were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes according to ADA criteria. The participants were apparently healthy. Exclusion criteria included the occurrence of a cardiovascular event during the previous 6 months, advanced congestive heart failure, major depression and dementia. Dietary intake of fiber was assessed using 3-day food records (2 non-consecutive weekdays and 1 weekend day). Food records were analyzed using the Nutritionist III software and the daily nutrient intakes of total energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat and dietary fiber were calculated. Mean (SD) energy intake per day was 1747.15(413.63) kcal/day for women and 2239.89(533.64) kcal/day for men. Mean daily dietary intake of fiber was 12.44(5.24) g for women and 14.39(6.76) g for men. When controlling for daily energy intake, the daily dietary intake of fiber was 7.12g/1000 kcal/day for women, and 6.35g/1000 kcal/day for men. The mean fiber intake of the studied sample was considerably lower than the current recommendations (p 0.001). Current insufficient intake of dietary fiber represents a challenge for community. Dietary fiber fortification can be the potential to play an adjunctive role in offering the health benefits provided by high-fiber foods.