Health-conscious consumers are wasting money on fibre supplements that contain very little fibre, a new report has revealed.
Despite costing as much as £20 a pack, many high street supplements of the nutrient contain just a fraction of the 30g of fibre that the average British adult needs each day.
Novomins Fibre Gummies (£20 for 60 gummies) contain just 4g of fibre per serving, according to consumer rights organisation Which? – around one-eighth of an adult’s recommended daily intake.
Meanwhile, taking three Wellthy by Boots Daily Fibre High Strength Capsules provides just 2g of fibre at 42p a dose – the equivalent of a small sweet potato.
And it would take swallowing six Holland & Barrett Psyllium Husk capsules – which cost 60p a pop – to reap any meaningful benefits, and even then the fibre dose is still relatively low, coming in at just over 2g.
Manufacturers were also alleged to be using misleading health claims to ‘cash in’ on dietary shortfalls by putting health claims pertaining to other vitamins on the front of their packaging, to comply with strict UK regulations.
While Novomins’ fibre gummies claim to support the immune system and boost energy, these claims have nothing to do with the fibre content, the report found.
Rather, these health benefits come from added vitamin B12 and D2, which do not feature on the front of the packaging.
Boots’ Daily Fibre High Strength Capsules provide just 2g fibre per dose and costs £12.49 per pack
This is a marketing technique known as ‘fairy dusting’ – where other ingredients with approved health claims are added to help sell unrelated products.
Which? Nutritionist Shefalee Loth said: ‘People might be shocked to learn that seeing an ingredient listed on the front of a supplement doesn’t necessarily mean there’s enough of it to have any real effect.
‘This is called ‘fairy dusting’, where manufacturers add a small amount of a nutrient or ingredient to a product so they can make a health claim on the packaging, even though the amount included may be too small to have any real benefit.’
Found naturally in foods such as wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses, fibre helps keep the digestive system healthy and has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Research shows that every additional 10g of daily fibre reduces the risk of bowel cancer by 10 per cent.
Adults are advised to consume 30g a day, but most fall well short of this target. Currently, just 5 per cent of Britons consume the recommended daily intake.
And according to Which? analysis, supplement companies could be partly to blame.
‘Some brands list fibre content in milligrams (mg) instead of the standard grams (g) – presumably to make doses sound bigger and stand out on the shelf,’ its report read.
Some fibre supplements contain less of the essential nutrient than a sweet potato – which costs just 35p from Tesco
For example, Novomins’ gummies boast 4,000mg of fibre per serving – which may sound impressive compared to a competitor offering just 4g.
However, as the consumer watchdog points out, these supplement the exact same amount of fibre – which is still just 13 per cent of an adult’s 30g target.
‘It’s a simple tactic that makes it more difficult to quickly and accurately compare products on the shelf, and tricks your brain into thinking you’re getting more for your money,’ it added.
‘To ensure you know the true cost per dose, always check the back of pack info first.’
To add credibility, some brands also rely on a marketing ploy known as ‘science washing’, which sees companies using medical terminology ‘to add clout and give a product an evidence-backed edge’.
Biomel’s Complete Gut powder, which costs £30 for a 450g tub and works out at around 70p per serving, claims to have been developed using ‘years of research and testing’ involving more than 320 studies.
However, a closer look reveals that these studies were looking into the health benefits of single ingredients, rather than the company’s proprietary blend.
According to Which? researchers, this ‘lends a sense of impressiveness that isn’t backed by the small print’, and fails to tell consumers anything meaningful about the actual product.
The nutritionists concluded that while fibre is essential for a healthy diet, there is no need to pay a premium for it.
‘Our research found that some supplements provide surprisingly little fibre for the price, while everyday foods can provide comparable amounts for a fraction of the cost,’ said Ms Loth.
”Fibremaxxing’ is one of the latest health trends to take off on social media, but consumers shouldn’t be swayed by clever marketing when they can find plenty of fibre in foods they already have in their cupboards’.
The UK’s booming supplements industry is worth an estimated £6.8billion a year.
Despite this, millions of people in the UK are thought to be missing out on at least eight essential vitamins and minerals, partly because of the nation’s reliance on ultra-processed foods.
While vitamins are essential for every process in the body, experts say it is better to aim for a balanced, fibre-filled diet where possible, rather than relying on supplements.
The food-first approach can also be significantly cheaper. Which? found that a 50g bowl of porridge oats provides the same 4g of fibre as a serving of Novomins gummies, but costs around 4p compared with 66p for the supplement.
Other everyday staples such as oats, bread, beans and pulses similarly offer higher fibre doses than many supplements at a fraction of the price.
