Fiber overdose

kaydeedoubleu1

Hey guys, so i changed my settings on my diary to show fiber, and with just my breakfast alone ( i have oats with trail mix, bran and chia seeds cooked in water) I have already used up my daily allowance of fiber which is 15g. But I have a lot more fiber during the day. how much fiber is too much? Is there such a thing? should I cut down??

Ready2Rock206

Too much is when your tummy starts complaining. I aim for about 30-40 grams a day.

TallGlassOfQuirky

Women under 50 should aim for at least 25 grams/day.

You can eat a LOT more than that without having problems, provided you get plenty of fluids (too much fiber without enough water and you'll be incredibly constipated).

I used to average 50-60 grams a day and was as regular as clockwork; however, large quantities of fiber can cause problems with nutrient absorption, so keep an eye on that.

Going over the "allotted" 15 grams/day, however, is a good thing.

tinylightsbelow

Too much is when your tummy starts complaining. I aim for about 30-40 grams a day.

Agreed. I sometimes eat 40+ g/day and when it's too much... I notice. Lol. Either way, I don't think fiber is actually digested, it just goes through your system and helps move things along. So as long as you're comfortable, have at it!

ecdce

Too much fibre will be noticeable -- stomach cramps with bloating, diarrhea/constipation, gas. It's really hard to eat too much fibre and not know about it. It's actually sort of hard to eat too much fibre in general. You may increase your fibre too quickly and have problems, so if you are upping your fibre you should do it gradually.

The Institute of Medicine recommends a minimum of 14 grams of fibre for every 1000 calories you eat every day. If you are used to more fibre and cut back to the minimum requirement, you're probably going to have some unpleasant side effects, unless you do it very gradually.

With fibre, you'll know when it's too much

organic0gf

oops nevermind!

ecdce

Too much is when your tummy starts complaining. I aim for about 30-40 grams a day.

Agreed. I sometimes eat 40+ g/day and when it's too much... I notice. Lol. Either way, I don't think fiber is actually digested, it just goes through your system and helps move things along. So as long as you're comfortable, have at it!

Some of it is digested and some of it isn't (there's even a type that ferments in your intestines. Yum). And you need a balance. I was super confused when my dog had diarrhea and the vet recommended fibre, because he'd also recommended fibre when our other dog was constipated. Lol. It's two different types that perform two different tasks.

kaydeedoubleu1

Thanks guys, good to know!!!

mamaomefo

I'm over 50 and I try to get 25-30 grams daily of fiber. Good luck!

sympha01

It's a weakness of MFP that they "redline" all of your nutrient goals if you go over, when some nutrients the goal is really a "minimum," which gives the impression that if you got 14 g of fiber it would be okay. (Spoiler: it's not).

15g a day is very little fiber for a grown woman. 20-25 is the usual recommendation for women, but again this is more of a minimum than a maximum. I set my minimum for 30 but try to get more like 40 most days.

If your system is not used to fiber, work up to it gradually to minimize gastric distress. Suddenly increasing your fiber intake all at once can definitely cause discomfort. But your body will get used to it gradually if you don't have other health problems like diverticulitis.

Fiber is really great for you, particularly if it's fiber actually in the food and not a supplement (fiber in your food actually makes your body "work harder" to digest the calories in the food, e.g. when you eat fruit, a lot of the fructose calories are locked inside fiber so your body can't get at those calories until it works on the fiber). It helps you regulate your blood sugar and can reduce food cravings during the day. Not to mention other health benefits of fiber, like managing your cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of many types of cancer.