Researchers studied a diabetes app called DialBetesPlus to see how much fiber people were eating. Fiber is important for managing blood sugar levels. They tracked 47 people with type 2 diabetes for a whole year and found that even though the app helped them record their meals, people were only eating about 17 grams of fiber per day. That’s less than the recommended 20 grams. The study shows that just having an app to track food isn’t enough to help people eat more fiber. Doctors and app makers need to find better ways to encourage people with diabetes to include more fiber-rich foods in their diet.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How much dietary fiber people with type 2 diabetes were eating when using a smartphone app designed to help them manage their diabetes and track their meals.
  • Who participated: 47 adults with type 2 diabetes in Japan who used the DialBetesPlus app for a full year. They were selected from a larger group of 66 people because they had complete meal records (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for at least 7 days.
  • Key finding: People using the app ate an average of 17.1 grams of fiber per day, which is below the recommended amount of 20 grams per day. The amount of fiber they ate stayed pretty much the same throughout the year, staying below 18 grams on average.
  • What it means for you: If you have type 2 diabetes and use a food-tracking app, simply recording what you eat may not be enough to help you eat more fiber. You might need additional help or reminders from your doctor or app to specifically choose high-fiber foods like vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

The Research Details

This was a secondary analysis, which means researchers looked at data that was already collected from a larger study. The original study lasted 12 months and involved people with type 2 diabetes using the DialBetesPlus app, which lets users record their meals and see detailed information about the nutrients they’re eating, including fiber. The researchers extracted meal records from the app and calculated how much fiber each person ate on average each day. They looked at fiber intake for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks separately. They also examined whether factors like age, weight, blood sugar control, and blood pressure affected how much fiber people ate.

The study focused only on people who had complete meal records (all three main meals) for at least 7 days during the year. This meant they could accurately measure what people were actually eating. The researchers then calculated the average fiber intake across the entire year for each person and looked at trends over time to see if people were eating more or less fiber as time went on.

Understanding how much fiber people with diabetes actually eat in real life is important because fiber helps control blood sugar levels. Most diabetes apps focus on counting calories and carbohydrates but don’t specifically help people eat more fiber. By studying real app users over a long period, researchers can see whether current apps are actually helping people make healthier choices. This information helps app developers and doctors figure out what’s missing and how to better support people with diabetes.

This study has several strengths: it tracked real people using an actual app over a full year, which gives a realistic picture of eating habits. The researchers only included people with complete meal records, which means the data is accurate. However, the study only included 47 people, which is a relatively small group. Also, the study only looked at people in Japan who chose to use this particular app, so the results might not apply to everyone with diabetes in other countries. The study didn’t find clear reasons why people weren’t eating enough fiber, which means more research is needed to understand what barriers people face.

What the Results Show

The main finding was that people using the DialBetesPlus app ate an average of 17.1 grams of fiber per day over the year. This is about 3 grams less than the recommended 20 grams per day in Japan. When researchers looked at the trend throughout the year, they found a slight increase in fiber intake over time, but it stayed consistently below 18 grams on average.

When looking at individual meals, dinner had the most fiber (6.7 grams), followed by lunch (4.8 grams), breakfast (4.4 grams), and snacks had the least (1.5 grams). This pattern makes sense because dinner is usually the largest meal. However, when researchers looked at how much fiber people were eating relative to the calories in each meal, breakfast actually had the best ratio—meaning breakfast foods had more fiber per calorie than other meals.

The researchers also checked whether certain characteristics of the participants—like their age, sex, weight, blood sugar control, blood pressure, or how often they logged their meals—affected how much fiber they ate. Surprisingly, none of these factors showed a strong connection to fiber intake. This suggests that the amount of fiber people eat isn’t simply determined by their age, weight, or how well they’re managing their diabetes.

The study found that snacks were a weak point in people’s diets when it came to fiber. Snacks provided only 1.5 grams of fiber per day on average and had the lowest fiber density (meaning the snacks people chose weren’t very fiber-rich). This suggests that people might be choosing snacks like chips, cookies, or candy instead of fiber-rich options like nuts, seeds, or fruit. The fact that breakfast had the best fiber-to-calorie ratio suggests that people might be making better choices at breakfast than at other meals, possibly because breakfast foods like oatmeal and whole grain cereals are commonly promoted as healthy.

Previous studies from 2014-2019 showed that people with type 2 diabetes in Japan were eating 12-16 grams of fiber per day. This new study found 17.1 grams, which is a slight improvement. However, it’s still below the recommended 20 grams. This suggests that while people might be eating a bit more fiber than they were a few years ago, they still have a long way to go. The study also adds to growing evidence that most diabetes apps focus on counting calories and carbohydrates but don’t specifically help people eat more fiber, even though fiber is important for blood sugar control.

The study has several important limitations to keep in mind. First, only 47 out of 66 people in the intervention group had enough meal records to be included in the analysis. This means some people may have stopped using the app or didn’t record all their meals, which could affect the results. Second, the study only looked at people in Japan, so the results might be different in other countries where people eat different foods and have different dietary habits. Third, the study didn’t explore why people weren’t eating enough fiber—it just measured how much they ate. Finally, the study only looked at people who chose to use this particular app, so the results might not apply to people who don’t use apps to track their food or who use different apps.

The Bottom Line

If you have type 2 diabetes, aim to eat at least 20 grams of fiber per day. This study suggests that using a food-tracking app alone may not be enough to reach this goal. Consider asking your doctor or a dietitian for specific advice on how to add more fiber to your meals. Good sources of fiber include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and legumes. Add fiber gradually to avoid stomach discomfort. This recommendation has moderate confidence because the study shows the problem exists but doesn’t test solutions.

This research is most relevant for people with type 2 diabetes who use apps to track their food intake. It’s also important for app developers, doctors, and dietitians who work with people with diabetes. If you don’t have diabetes, this research is less directly relevant to you, though eating enough fiber is still important for everyone’s health. If you have type 1 diabetes or other types of diabetes, the findings may not apply to you in the same way.

Increasing fiber intake is not a quick fix. It typically takes 2-4 weeks for your body to adjust to eating more fiber. You should aim to gradually increase your fiber intake over several weeks. Once you reach the recommended 20 grams per day, you may notice improvements in blood sugar control within a few weeks to a few months, but this varies from person to person. It’s important to work with your doctor to monitor your blood sugar levels as you make these changes.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your daily fiber intake in grams for each meal. Set a goal of 20 grams per day and log your progress. Break it down by meal type: aim for about 5 grams at breakfast, 5 grams at lunch, 7 grams at dinner, and 3 grams from snacks. This specific breakdown helps you see which meals need improvement.
  • Use your app to set reminders to choose high-fiber foods at each meal. When logging meals, look for foods labeled as ‘high fiber’ or ‘whole grain.’ Try replacing one low-fiber snack per day with a high-fiber option like an apple with peanut butter, a handful of almonds, or whole grain crackers. Track this change for two weeks to see if it helps you reach your fiber goal.
  • Check your fiber intake weekly and compare it to your 20-gram goal. If you’re consistently below 20 grams, identify which meal has the lowest fiber and focus on improving that meal first. Once you reach 20 grams per day consistently for two weeks, maintain that level while working with your doctor to monitor how it affects your blood sugar control. Review your progress monthly to stay motivated.

This research describes what people with type 2 diabetes actually ate when using a specific app, but it does not prove that eating more fiber will improve your health. Before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you have diabetes or take diabetes medications, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian. They can help you safely increase your fiber intake and monitor how it affects your blood sugar levels. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.