Do you count calories from insoluble fiber?

superwmn

Fiber One has 14g of fiber. Only 1g is soluble.

I'm reading that insoluble fiber is not digestible by the body and therefore the calories from insoluble fiber do not count. Is this true? That would mean that Fiber One has essentially no calories.

Your thoughts?

Charmagne

Aeriel

I always count calories....if there were no calories or essentially none, the box/wrapper would reflect that. What they give you is the value of calories etc the food provides.

rolandhulme

The calories still count. If you're on a low carb diet, I THINK (don't hold me to this) that the insoluble fiber isn't counted as part of your carb intake (so they're 1gram of carbs, instead of 14 grams.)

Mindful_Trent

Although insoluble fiber generally is considered not to contribute to calories that we consume, you should know that in the US, the standard is NOT to include insoluble fiber calories in the carbohydrate total, so you don't wan't to start subtracting it...

"In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require manufacturers to include insoluble fiber in fiber Calorie counts on nutrition labels, usually as a subset of the total carbohydrate count. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the general practice within the food industry is not to include insoluble fiber in the total carbohydrate count."
http://www.wisegeek.com/do-fiber-calories-count.htm

Found this with a quick google search - not sure how reliable the source is, but it's worth looking into before you start subtracting any calories... personally I think it's best to just use the calories as given on the food label.

superwmn

Not necessarily. The FDA insists that all calories are listed whether they're absorbed by the body or not. This is not the standard practice in many other countries, hence the debate...

Charmagne

Aeriel

Not necessarily. The FDA insists that all calories are listed whether they're absorbed by the body or not. This is not the standard practice in many other countries, hence the debate...

Charmagne

That may be, but why not count them, and if they are not absorbed, then you are getting a bonus on your calorie deficit. I'd rather over estimate than underestimate. Especially with users from so many countries around the world using the site.

Mindful_Trent

Not necessarily. The FDA insists that all calories are listed whether they're absorbed by the body or not. This is not the standard practice in many other countries, hence the debate...

Charmagne

I found the specific citation for the FDA code that states that in the US, food suppliers are allowed to subtract calories from insoluble fiber... It's not allowed in Canada, though.

"For the U.S., FDA allows several different methods for calorie determination [21 CFR101.9(c)(1)(i)]] such as general factors or specific Atwater factors. Most companies use the general factors 4-4-9 (4 calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein and 9 calories per gram for fat). It is allowable but not required to subtract insoluble fiber from the total carbohydrate value for the purpose of calculating calories. Insoluble fiber must be included in the Nutrition Facts Panel if any claims about insoluble fiber are made -- otherwise it is a voluntary nutrient. If insoluble fiber is shown, companies can choose whether or not they subtract the calories from this type of carbohydrate. To list the fewest number of calories and to avoid confusing consumers, you can subtract the insoluble fiber from the carbohydrates before applying the 4-4-9 formula but then you would not want to include the optional 4-4-9 footnote on the Nutrition Facts Panel."
http://www.foodlabels.com/q&a.htm

Many other search results back this up. So... if you're in the US, it's probably not best to subtract insoluble fiber. It may be listed on the label but not included in the calorie count.

jimmydeanbakker

Fiber is not digestible, and I'm basically saying the body does not absorb fiber. We eat fiber in order to add bulk to our stool. We still count those calories, but you can do a little math on your own, and to know that 30 grams of fiber = 120 calories that the body won't absorb. If your body absorbed fiber, 1 gram would be 4 calories. I eat between 25 grams to 30 grams of fiber a day, and my body has never digested one drop of it. I still count those calories, but in the back of my mind I know they don't count. The fiber passes through my body, adds bulk to my stool, and keeps me regular. Please do not think you're gonna eat gobs of fiber, and your family won't notice. Too much fiber leads to some serious gas problems.

Soluble fiber breaks down in water and turns into a gel like substance. It makes you feel more full.

Insoluble fiber doesn't break down in water. It's sponge like. Insoluble fiber will help you feel full longer.