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Yes, as you’ve been told, fiber is definitely good for your health. It can reduce constipation, possibly lower the risk of colon cancer and diverticulitis, and may even help with regulating blood pressure, inflammation and blood sugar levels.
But some people are taking fiber to the extreme by “fibermaxxing” — a trend where you try to consume a larger-than-normal amount of fiber by finding ways to add more of it to all your meals and snacks and/or taking extra supplements. Which might sound harmless, but it turns out, when it comes to fiber, there is some truth to that old saying, “too much of a good thing.”
What exactly is fiber?
To understand how fiber affects your body, it’s probably best to first understand what it is. Fiber is the substance in plant foods, fruits, vegetables and grains that can’t be digested by your intestine. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber soaks up liquid in the intestine and adds some thickness to your poop, whereas insoluble fiber doesn’t break down, but helps bulk your poop up and move things along.
“All plant foods contain a little bit of each kind of fiber in their natural state, and the two types of fiber are beneficial for fueling the gut microbiome and for overall health and wellness,” says Debra Clancy, RD, a clinical dietitian at the Center for Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery at Meridian Pavilion.
The amount of much fiber you really need
And this brings us to how much fiber you should actually eat. Though increased fiber intake is generally great, taking it to extremes can be, uh, uncomfortable.
Here is what the National Academy of Medicine recommends:
- Women under 50 should consume about 25 grams of fiber daily
- Women over 50 should get about 21 grams
- For men, the younger-than-50 crowd should aim for 38 grams of fiber
- Men over 50 need around 31 grams
Some of the fibermaxxing influencers are just trying to encourage you to meet your daily fiber recommendation (makes sense, great idea), but many of them think you should really go for it and aim closer to something like 50 grams of fiber per day.
“Most people can’t tolerate 50 grams of fiber,” says Clancy. “On one hand, I think the concept of it is great because it’s encouraging more whole foods and less ultra-processed foods, and whole foods have vitamins and minerals and other components that are great for nutrition, but 50 grams of fiber a day is probably too much.”
She explains that it might not be harmful to most people, but if you have sensitivities or are dealing with medical conditions like Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis or irritable bowel syndrome, it might cause inflammation or irritation, and make you feel much worse.
Additionally, dramatically increasing your fiber intake can cause gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, nausea and diarrhea. And too much of either fiber can also cause constipation, especially when you’re not drinking enough liquid, and if your microbiome isn’t ready for a sudden large fiber load.
So what should you do?
Though making huge changes to your fiber intake isn’t suggested by medical professionals, trying to gently increase your fiber intake over time is great, especially since around 95% of Americans aren’t getting enough fiber in their diet. Adding more whole grains, beans, berries, seeds, veggies and nuts to your diet will help you naturally kick your fiber intake into high gear.
And sometimes you have to bring in some extra help (especially if you’re feeling a lack of movement down there). When you’re feeling really backed up, Clancy recommends starting with a laxative rather than suddenly increasing your fiber intake.
“I ask people to start by getting a laxative, whether it’s magnesium oxide, which I think has the best data, or something like MiraLAX, which is common and available everywhere,” says Clancy. “You want to get things moving before adding more fiber because if you add too much into a blocked intestine, it’s like adding more cement — and whatever you put in generally takes one to three days to get out.” (Yikes).
But once things are moving along more “regularly” (see what I did there?), you can incorporate more fiber, including fiber supplements, into your daily eating habits.
The amount of fiber that makes each person feel good is different, so it’s important to understand your own personal needs and risks and talk to your doctor before you make any dramatic shifts in your diet.
