Dietary Fiber: Still No Accepted Definition

Dr. Robert Atkins reportedly developed his Atkins Diet for weight reduction because he was concerned with the great reduction in fiber intake in the 20th century, which was matched by a dramatic increase in intake of refined carbohydrates after refining of grains began in the 1890s. Fiber-free sugar consumption also increased seriously with the development of soft drinks. Because long-term ingestion of low-fiber foods does not satisfy human hunger, consumers started to eat more, leading to the s…