![\"Fiber](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bfa39c4dd24687a6ac4467fe28814bdc.jpeg\")
Fiber and protein are in the spotlight as online ‘maxxing’ trends touting their health benefits take root (Frederic J. BROWN) \u00b7 Frederic J. BROWN\/AFP\/AFP <\/p>\n Fiber and protein are in the spotlight as online ‘maxxing’ trends touting their health benefits take root (Frederic J. BROWN) \u00b7 Frederic J. BROWN\/AFP\/AFP <\/p>\n
First it was protein, now it’s fiber: the “maxxing” mindset has permeated social media, as wellness influencers insist that loading up on certain nutrients is the key to vitality and a life-changing gut glow-up.<\/p>\n
These viral diet trends rooted in extreme optimization are impacting how people eat and what companies sell — but are they actually healthy?<\/p>\n
The concept of “proteinmaxxing” insists that more is better when it comes to the macronutrient found in foods like meat, dairy and nuts, which is\u00a0essential to a vast array of bodily functions such as repairing tissue or enhancing immune function.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile dietary fiber is on track to be 2026’s online trend of choice: ingest as much as possible and you’ll be less hungry and more regular, say online advocates who wave bowls of chia seeds and oats at the camera.<\/p>\n
Brands have taken note: if you can buy it, there’s probably a protein-boosted version of it — even the sugariest cereals are touting their high protein content.<\/p>\n
And blue chip companies like PepsiCo and Nestle along with newer firms like Olipop are jumping on the bandwagon, highlighting the fiber content in prebiotic sodas or chips.<\/p>\n
“I think fiber will be the next protein,” said PepsiCo\u00a0CEO Ramon Laguarta in an earnings call late last year.<\/p>\n
A survey from the consulting firm Bain & Company showed nearly half of US consumers are trying to eat more protein.<\/p>\n
Across the United States, Europe and Asia, it’s Gen Z and Millennial consumers primarily driving the fad, according to the survey.<\/p>\n
The same goes for fiber: according to London’s GlobalData, 40 percent of Gen Z and 45 percent of Millennials reported they’re trying to improve their gut health.<\/p>\n
– More not always best –<\/p>\n
Nutritionists say there are grains of truth to the fiber craze.<\/p>\n
Andrea Glenn, an assistant professor of nutrition at New York University, called the movement surrounding fiber a “pretty tame wellness trend compared to the other things out there.”<\/p>\n
Samantha Snashall, a registered dietitian at Ohio State University’s medical center, said protein has been “the special child” in recent years — and fiber has been “pretty undervalued.”<\/p>\n
“I’m glad it’s having some light shed on it.”<\/p>\n
But those experts along with Arch Mainous — a professor of community health and family medicine at the University of Florida, who has researched the use of social media in health communication — said more isn’t always best, especially when it comes to protein.<\/p>\n
Story continues <\/p>\n
Mainous said eating according to the recommended daily values is one thing — but “if you say one’s good, five’s better? I’m not really for that.”<\/p>\n
He voiced concern that people are putting too much stock in the one-size-fits-all health advice of influencers.<\/p>\n
It’s part of a broader trend that has resulted in a “lack of trust in health experts,” he said — a “I’ll do my own research” mentality that has also been fueled by the likes of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has spread anti-vaccine misinformation for years.<\/p>\n
Few influencers are trained scientists, Mainous said, and many have brand deals or agendas of their own, including products to sell.<\/p>\n
– No ‘silver bullet’ –<\/p>\n
So what’s an eater to do?<\/p>\n
First, talk to your physician, Mainous said.<\/p>\n
As a general guideline, the American Heart Association says that for many people, a day that includes a combination of foods like a glass of milk, a cup of yogurt, a cup of cooked lentils, and a piece of cooked lean meat or fish approximately the size of a deck of cards will be in the ballpark of the average daily protein target.<\/p>\n
Fiber-wise, Glenn said 25-38 grams depending on age and sex is a good goal.<\/p>\n
High-fiber foods — such as beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains like oats or quinoa — are linked to lower rates of certain cancers, and can help keep cholesterol and blood sugar in check.<\/p>\n
Generally, Glenn said, people can eat some whole grains or fruit at breakfast, and then should try to fill half their plates with vegetables at lunch and dinner.<\/p>\n
With that visualization, “you’ll easily hit that target without needing to meticulously count how much fiber you’re consuming,” she told AFP.<\/p>\n
But if you’re not currently eating much fiber — most people aren’t — “maxxing” is not a good course, Snashall warned.<\/p>\n
Shake things up overnight and “your GI system is going to have a strong reaction,” she said. “Slow and steady wins the race.”<\/p>\n
And Glenn noted that powders and supplements can’t serve as a replacement for whole, real foods.<\/p>\n
Perhaps most importantly, no nutrient is a cure-all — those “fiber-rich” chips probably won’t change your life.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s important to never view these things as a silver bullet to all your problems,” she said.<\/p>\n
mdo\/sst<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fiber and protein are in the spotlight as online ‘maxxing’ trends touting their health benefits take root (Frederic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364293,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[191545,191546,82462,191547,190574,134,111,139,69,191548],"class_list":{"0":"post-364292","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-andrea-glenn","9":"tag-blue-chip-companies","10":"tag-dietary-fiber","11":"tag-fiber-content","12":"tag-frederic-j-brown","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-new-zealand","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz","17":"tag-samantha-snashall"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=364292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=364292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=364292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=364292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}