Fibre - how much is too much?

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42carrots
42carrots Posts: 97 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know that generally people don't get enough fibre if anything, and most people should aim for about 25g/day, but I've also read that too much can be problematic as well, and can hinder nutrient absorption. What I'm not sure of is how much is really too much. I know it would depend on the size of the person and other individual factors, but does anyone have any helpful and/or more quantitative information on the subject?

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  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    It's difficult to get too much fiber unless you're supplementing. There's really no need to be concerned until you get upwards of 50g a day.
  • 42carrots
    42carrots Posts: 97 Member
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    Good to know, thanks. I made up a meal plan for tomorrow that came in at just under 1300cals and contains 47g of fibre (pardon the spelling, I'm Canadian), I was kind of surprised by that. I've been trying to incorporate more fibre rich foods because I was noticing that some days I wasn't getting nearly enough, but I'm wondering if now I've moved a little too far in the other direction, I guess the only way to know is to test it out and see what happens.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    42carrots wrote: »
    Good to know, thanks. I made up a meal plan for tomorrow that came in at just under 1300cals and contains 47g of fibre (pardon the spelling, I'm Canadian), I was kind of surprised by that. I've been trying to incorporate more fibre rich foods because I was noticing that some days I wasn't getting nearly enough, but I'm wondering if now I've moved a little too far in the other direction, I guess the only way to know is to test it out and see what happens.

    Yea, that's a lot of fiber but nothing to worry about. You're nowhere near any sort of dangerous levels, so just go by how you feel.
  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
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    If you start pooping out Levi Strauss jeans then you know you're getting too much fiber. You should be OK.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Does it feel like someone is inflating a balloon inside your intestines?

    Are you leaking like a 30 year old Chinese oil tanker?

    No?

    Then you're good.
  • 15in8
    15in8 Posts: 141 Member
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    Remember to check insoluble vs soluble fiber. Horses for courses.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Too much insoluble fibre can cause constipation! Simple answer is if you're still pooping no probs then you are not eating too much.

    As the poster above said their are two types insoluble and soluble. Soluble is ferment-able and feeds you gut flora and helps things along nicely, so big tick.

    Insoluble is non digestible and passes through your intestines scraping the wall lining causing a yucky mucus which helps you pass those competition winning sized poops! so tick if you like big poops.
  • anachronicles
    anachronicles Posts: 109 Member
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    I eat a lot of fibre. When I was tracking it was normal for me to get between 50-65g per day. I had no problems with this amount of fibre on a regular basis. The only time I ever noticed an issue was if I was under my normal fibre intake for a few days. I guess my body was accustomed to the fibre it was getting, so if I had a few low-fibre days I would notice that my digestion was a little slower. But adding the fibre back into my diet immediately got things moving again :P

    Like you, and others have said, fibre needs vary by person. If your body isn't giving you signals that you need to reduce, then you're most likely fine. My only tip is staying hydrated :)
  • alan_huynh2000
    alan_huynh2000 Posts: 43 Member
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    Once your use to it, you can eat quite a bit... As long as you are not suffering any GI problems, I wouldn't stress about it.
  • 42carrots
    42carrots Posts: 97 Member
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    Thanks everyone!

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