Too much fibre?

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Blueberry09
Blueberry09 Posts: 821 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is there such a thing? I'm not a very 'regular' person so I mix bran with my yogurt, plus I have a bran muffin every day. That itself puts me right on the fibre amounts for the day. Any vegetables or grain raises the amount even higher so I'm always 'in the red'. Is that a bad thing?

Replies

  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    I'm sure there is a point where it can be too much, but it's usually a good distance beyond the "red zone."

    However, fruits and veggies are so essential to a healthy body (there's tons of vitamins and phytonutrients in fruits and veggies that aren't in bran) that it may be worth it to drop a bit of the bran and go for the produce instead.

    Also be aware of the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber. Our body needs both. I think bran only provides one source, and veggies and fruit are good for the other (not sure which way it goes). So another reason to balance it out!
  • dreamwellali
    dreamwellali Posts: 42
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    Yes, there is such a thing, but you likely don't have to worry about it. Monitor your bowel movements. If they are normal and "formed" then you are just fine. If they are more liquid and you see anything like mucous or blood, you need to be concerned. Too much fiber can irritate the intestinal lining.

    Gross, I know, but you asked ;)
  • tkmedrano
    tkmedrano Posts: 4 Member
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    It's not a bad thing! :) Here's an article you could read done by the Harvard School of Public Health: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fiber-full-story/index.html
  • Blueberry09
    Blueberry09 Posts: 821 Member
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    Yes, there is such a thing, but you likely don't have to worry about it. Monitor your bowel movements. If they are normal and "formed" then you are just fine. If they are more liquid and you see anything like mucous or blood, you need to be concerned. Too much fiber can irritate the intestinal lining.

    Gross, I know, but you asked ;)

    Yes I did LOL I'm not any more regular than usual but they do have a nice formation ;)
  • darrenham
    darrenham Posts: 110 Member
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    Unlike the calories total, the others are merely a guideline.

    As long as you aren't seeing any "other effects", don't worry about it.
  • kk281
    kk281 Posts: 66 Member
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    An average person of reasonable health who eats three primary meals a day should have 3 BM's a day (one per meal). if you find yourself experiencing more than than that try adding any of the BRAT (Bananas, applesuace, rice, or toast) foods to your diet as these tend to slow thing down and are used as a great home remedy for diareha. If i find myself being "too regular" i make a banana and applesuace on whole grain toast sandwich, it tatse excellent, is good for you, and helps to slow down my bowels if they become over active.

    As with any of the numbers in the food diary the limits and expectations are merely guidelines and not strict rules. dietary requirmenrts vary from person to person and what it the daily fiber requirment for one person, might not be the right requirment for you. bottom line if youi are happy with the amount of fiber you're getting, and the effects it is or isn't having on you, don't let some silly little numbe rin red effect you. Fiber isn't necessarily goign to MAKE you go to the restroom (as with a stimulant laxative) it just makes your BM's more fufilling and on a more regualr basis. Since fiber isn't digest like with other nutrients, it passes through your system and acts essentialy like a sponge, helping clean the inside of your colon out. Stimulants actually force the smooth muscles of the colon to contract, thus making you have a BM regardless of if your body is down extracting the nutrients or not. Over use of stimulant laxative would be dangerous, over eating of fiber would just make your BM's bigger and certainly wouldn't be harmful at levels that whould be physically possible to eat.
  • jcoltx
    jcoltx Posts: 14
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    Soluble Fiber -
    Oat bran, fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes all contain soluble fiber. Most soluble fiber is actually metabolized for energy, but this type of fiber is good for more than just fueling the body. Soluble fiber has been shown to lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol when eaten on a regular basis. Low LDL cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk for heart disease.

    Insoluble Fiber -
    Insoluble fiber absorbs water into its structure, thereby improving motility by softening the stool as well as increasing the stool size. Why would you want to have a big, soft stool filled with insoluble fiber? Studies indicate that a diet high in insoluble fiber may protect against cancer by binding carcinogens in the digestive tract.

    Sources of Fiber
    Soluble ~
    Apples
    Citrus fruits
    Strawberries
    Carrots
    Oats
    Legumes
    Barley

    Insoluble ~
    Whole wheat flour
    Bran
    Vegetables
    Whole grains
    Fruit skins
    Edible seeds

    **Fiber absorbs water, therefore, as you increase the fiber in your diet, be sure to increase the amount of fluids you consume.
  • skelly013
    skelly013 Posts: 12 Member
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    From everything I have read you should stick to 20-30 grams daily and always drink plenty of water or the fiber will "clog" things up. If you go over 50g per day you might start having issues, less along the lines of being too free and more along the lines of getting backed up.

    Here is a decent article but there are many out there.
    http://www.healthline.com/health-experts/diet-diva/too-much-fiber-dietary-fiber-and-your-nutrition

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