Can I carry over fiber into other foods to get net carbs

(Ali) #1

This is probably the wrong place to ask this - I’m brand new. AND I probably sound ridiculous because I don’t understand the science behind it but I’ll try to ask anyway since I couldn’t find anything online related to my question.

There are foods that are higher in fiber than carbs and there are also fiber pills. What I’m wondering is can I lower net carbs by simply carrying over fiber from the foods with excess fiber or fiber pills? Or is this not how it works? I hope this makes sense. Thanks!

(karen) #2

Nope. Fiber IS a carbohydrate. So a fiber pill that has 10 grams of fiber, has 10 grams of total carbohydrate. There’s no such thing as negative carbs. Sorry. (really, I mean it, I’m sorry!! :blush:)

ETA: if you see a label that’s higher in fiber than carbs, it’s one of two things: European labeling that doesn’t include fiber carbs in the total carb count, or a mistake.

European labeling example: 5 carbs, 6 grams of fiber. If you actually “converted” this to US labeling, it would say 11 grams TOTAL carbs, 6 grams fiber (5 net carbs).

(Jessica) #3

No you can’t. That’s not how it works.

Fiber is the undigestable portion of the carbohydrate in a food. There wouldn’t be a food that has more fiber than carbs. If a package shows that, then the package is already deducting fiber from the carb count.

(Ali) #4

Okay thanks for the input. I guess I got some conflicting information online. There is literally a list of foods that “have more fiber than carbs” and starts the list off with wheat bran saying 1/2 cup of wheat bran is 3 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fiber. haha

(Lonnie Hedley) #5

Like @kib said, that sounds like a European label. Add them together to get total carbs.

(Jessica) #6

This will stink, but toss that list. A quick google search finds that 1/2C crude wheat bran has ~19 grams of carbs, ~12 of which are fiber.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #7

Labeling standards are different in Europe than in the US.
“How do you solve a problem like Fib-er” is one question where they diverge, like two paths in the wood.

In the US, Fiber is counted in the Total Carb line, and then enumerated below the Total Carb number, making subtraction of fiber the job of the consumer. In the EU, I believe the fiber is not counted in the total carb line, but is similarly enumerated below the total carb number.

As an example: USDA Nutrient Data vs Public Health England Composition Database (we are miles ahead in terms of service… I had to download the WHOLE database for this)
USDA vs PHE
100g of strawberries, raw
Pro: .67 vs .6
Fat: .5 vs .3
Carb: 7.68 vs 6.1
Fiber: 2 vs N/A

I think their methodology is a bit different, as well, but that large difference in Carb between USDA and PHE is the fiber, not being subtracted in the US and being subtracted through Europe.

I think our label is a little more friendly for folks tracking Fiber, while the EU standard is a bit more friendly to LCHF dieters who don’t really worry about fiber, beyond subtraction.