Wyeth Debuts Vitamins for Low-Carb Dieters

Wyeth, the maker of Centrum vitamins, is joining the low-carb diet craze. The company said Wednesday it is introducing Centrum Carb Assist, a multivitamin for people that are on diets that restrict starches, pasta and other carbohydrates, such as the Atkins Diet.

Wyeth, the maker of Centrum vitamins, is joining the low-carb diet craze. The company said Wednesday it is introducing Centrum Carb Assist, a multivitamin for people that are on diets that restrict starches, pasta and other carbohydrates, such as the Atkins Diet. “By severely limiting — or completely cutting — carbohydrates from their diets, many people may not be getting the full complement of nutrients required for optimal health,” said Andy Davis, senior vice president for Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. Wyeth, a drug maker based in Madison, New Jersey, said the low-carb diets may not provide enough folic acid, which is found in whole wheat bread, leafy vegetables, and nuts and seeds, in the diet. A lack of folic acid in a pregnant woman’s diet can lead to birth defects. Wyeth cited an Opinion Dynamics Corp. poll that 26 million Americans are following low-carbohydrate diets. Restaurants have capitalized on the craze by featuring low-carb foods on the menus. The low-carb craze has been blamed for weak quarterly results at General Mills Inc. and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. Centrum Carb Assist is formulated with high levels of the B vitamins — niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and B12 — as well as the antioxidants selenium, manganese, and vitamins C, D and E. It also has 100 percent recommended daily requirements of iron, zinc and copper. Several studies presented at the American Heart Association meeting in March showed that Americans eat too much, their diets are too high in fat and they do not get enough high fiber foods, calling into question whether the low-carb diets work. However, two studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this month showed faster weight loss in the short term and greater improvements in blood fat levels compared with conventional low-fat diets, according to the Web Site (www.annals.org). (Source: Reuters Health, May 2004)