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Dietary fiber for children: how much?
1Department of Medicine (Nutrition) and Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Pediatrics
|November 1, 1995
Summary
The "age plus 5 g" guideline offers a practical minimum for children's dietary fiber intake, promoting adequate nutrient consumption. This approach is simpler and safer than higher recommendations for children over three.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Dietary Guidelines
- Public Health
Background:
- Most American children consume less dietary fiber than recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Children following vegetarian diets tend to have higher fiber intakes, closer to recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize evidence-based dietary fiber recommendations for children and adolescents.
- To provide guidance on appropriate fiber intake levels for the general public.
- To address concerns about adequate energy intake with high fiber consumption.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of existing scientific evidence on dietary fiber intake in children.
- Analysis of different proposed fiber recommendation formulas.
- Consideration of nutritional adequacy and potential health effects.
Main Results:
- The guideline of "age plus 5 g" of dietary fiber appears to be a safe and effective minimum recommendation for children.
- Higher recommendations, such as "age plus 15 g," are considered excessive.
- Monitoring child weight, growth, and size is crucial, especially with very high fiber intakes.
Conclusions:
- "Age plus 5 g" is a practical and memorable minimum recommendation for children over three years old.
- Dietary fiber should be obtained from foods rather than supplements to ensure nutrient intake and avoid medicalization.
- Individualized recommendations may be needed for high-risk groups, and practical strategies for increasing fiber intake from food are provided.