As little as a century ago, the intentional consumption of processed fiber was practically unheard of. Certainly, people ate fiber-rich natural foods, such as vegetables, beans, nuts, and legumes, but in general the overall consumption of fiber was under 10 grams a day—a perfectly normal amount for healthy children and adults.

Not today. Adults and children alike are urged to consume 30 to 40 grams of dietary fiber daily, regardless of their age or health. Most Americans heed this advice (some with a vengeance), assuming there can’t be too much of a good thing. The outcome is predictable: a pandemic of digestive disorders in the West, and, particularly, in the United States.

Surprisingly, the original intent behind fiber consumption wasn’t the betterment of one’s health, but the suppression of sexual desire and relief of constipation. As this book explains, fiber has indeed succeeded at rendering many men and women sexually dysfunctional. To add insult to injury, fiber makes constipation worse, not better. This is really hard to believe until you actually begin researching the subject.

Fiber Menace is a must-read for anyone suffering from digestive disorders, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. And it will not leave readers confused as to what to do next: the final section—“From High To Low Without a Blow”—offers specific recommendations for how to reduce fiber consumption without encountering the devastating side effects of fiber addiction: hypoglycemia, indigestion, dehydration, malnutrition, and constipation. These conditions are all too familiar to people who tried but failed on the Atkins and South Beach diets, which are distinguished by their conspicuous absence of fiber. This unfortunate situation is explained in Chapter 3, “Atkins goes to South Beach.”

Fiber Menace’s challenge of present-day dietary myths and dogmas is based on widely cited mainstream research by premier institutions such as The National Institutes of Health; blue-chip medical references such as The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy; and highly regarded medical publications, such as The New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, its key assertions are thoroughly referenced in order to help doctors, nutritionists, and lay readers alike investigate the topics they may find controversial, or in conflict with their own points of view.

Back Cover Footnotes
The number of Americans affected by digestive disorders is quite shocking, even for medical professionals who are confronted with these diseases every day. (The number of those affected is actually much higher once the uninsured and undiagnosed are factored in.) This epidemiological statistic was obtained from the following sources:

– Every tenth adult American (over 21 million) has been diagnosed with an ulcer at least once in his or her life­time.

“Number of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed ulcers: 14.5 million”

“Percent of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed ulcers: 6.8%”

Calculation: Over 18 years old: approximately 210 million adults. Total adults diagnosed with ulcers: 21.3 million, or about every 10th adult.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults, 2003, tables 7, 8;

– Every fifth American (up to 60 million) suffers from irritable bowel syndrome.

“In fact, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 10-20% [30 to 60 million – ed.] of the general population.”;

Source: About Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS);
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders;

– Every second adult over age fifty (about 38 million) is affected by hemorrhoidal disease.

“Hemorrhoids are very common in both men and women. About half of the population have hemorrhoids by age 50.”

Source: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, a service of the National Institutes of Health; Hemorrhoids; NIH Publication No. 02–3021; Feb. 2002;

– Every second adult over age sixty (about 23 million) suffers from diverticular disease.

"About half of all people over the age of 60 have diverticulosis.”

Source: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, a service of the National Institutes of Health Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis; NIH Publication No. 04–1163; 4/04

– Depending on who’s counting, over 80 million Americans endure chronic constipation.

"The exact prevalence of constipation depends on the definition used; prevalence estimates range from 2% to 28%.”

Calculation: 297 million (as of Sept. 2005) * 28% = 83.1 million.

Source: Talley NJ; Definitions, epidemiology, and impact of chronic constipation; Rev Gastroenterol Disord. 2004;4 Suppl 2:S3-S10. PMID: 15184814;

– Besides impaired digestion, over 137 million adult Americans are overweight or obese…

“Results from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults [over age 20 – ed] are either overweight or obese.”

Calculation: Over age 20: 71.4% of population; Population in 2005: 297 million; Total overweight adults: 297 million * 71.4% * 65% = 137 million.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among  Adults: United States, 1999-2002;

U.S. Census Bureau (population breakdown):

Source: QT-P1. Age Groups and Sex:  2000
Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data