Insoluble fiber, found in nuts, cucumbers, fruit with edible seeds, and corn, does not dissolve in water and adds bulk to stool allowing the digestive tract to move the food through more quickly. By eating a variety of plant-based foods one can usually achieve the recommended amount.
Fiber has been clinically proven to be helpful in improving blood cholesterol levels, digestion, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer. Fiber has become a panacea, solving many health issues seemingly without any negative implications. Is there such a thing as too much? Fiber stays in the GI system and increasing too quickly can cause GI distress.
This is because the bacteria in the gut can digest and absorb fiber and will start to eat the fiber that the human body cannot. The byproduct of bacteria metabolizing fiber in the gut is gas which causes bloating, stomach cramps, and abdominal pain.
Increasing fiber intake slowly, such as adding in a piece of fruit or a serving of beans to your diet, gives the body and bacteria time to adjust to its new diet. For one, the bacteria in the GI system reacts intensely to its new diet, producing significantly more gas. The F-Factor diet essentially recommends adding fiber powder to many foods that fiber is not naturally found; coffee, waffles, ice cream etc. When supplements are used excessively they usually have negative consequences.
Those following the F-Factor diet complained of severe gastric distress, full body rashes and even amenorrhea! Some were from whole-grains, but the majority were thanks to extra fibers the manufacturer added.
Most days this is a nice boost to get closer to recommended intakes, but what if you're consuming a wrap or two like this along with fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Is it possible to get too much fiber? Fiber does have consistency, though, when it comes to what research suggests about its health effects. Higher daily fiber intakes are associated with improved digestive health, decreased risk of digestive issues such as constipation, lower blood pressure, increased satiety following a meal, lower body weight, improved health of gut bacteria , as well as reduced risks of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers like colon, breast, and stomach.
The problem is that the average daily intake is 17g for U. Even though intake is chronically low, it appears that more individuals are starting to look for fiber amounts on food labels like they might calories or sodium. Specifically, during a period of 6 months, 41 patients were on a no-fiber diet, 16 were on a reduced-fiber diet, and 6 continued on a high-fiber diet due to personal or religious factors. Participants who stopped their dietary fiber intake completely went from having 1 bowel movement every 3.
In those who reduced their fiber intake, bowel movement frequency went from 1 every 4. Finally, remember that fiber is a really important part of the diet. If a person feels sick from eating too much fiber, then a low-fiber diet may be a good idea for some time, with limited amounts of fiber gradually re-introduced into the diet but very few people in my experience take too much fiber from real foods.
I have often recommended increasing dietary fiber intake and replacing refined grains with whole grains to curb the risks associated with a gamut of diseases. If your diet is largely made up of whole foods, including lots of vegetables, beans, fruits, and whole grains, you could easily meet or even slightly exceed the daily recommended fiber intake.
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