Fiber?

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michelle2808
michelle2808 Posts: 68
in Health and Weight Loss
What is a good amount of Fiber to eat daily without eating too much? What if I eat too much Fiber, what happens?

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  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    USDA recommends 25 grams per day. I usually get more than that. If you're eating lots of fruits and vegetables, you'll likely get more.

    Too much fiber if your body isn't used to it can have negative results.

    Also, inulin can cause a lot of gas.

    Once your body gets used to eating a lot of fiber, I'm not sure that you can actually get too much.

    I would just ensure that it is coming mostly from whole foods and not from things like Fiber One Bars, etc. They can be good supplements to your diet, but are more likely to cause problems than whole foods.
  • michelle2808
    michelle2808 Posts: 68
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    Sorry this is going to be TMI , but..... I haven't "used" the bathroom in a couple of days other then going pee :(
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
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    USDA recommends 25 grams per day. I usually get more than that. If you're eating lots of fruits and vegetables, you'll likely get more.

    Too much fiber if your body isn't used to it can have negative results.

    Also, inulin can cause a lot of gas.

    Once your body gets used to eating a lot of fiber, I'm not sure that you can actually get too much.

    I would just ensure that it is coming mostly from whole foods and not from things like Fiber One Bars, etc. They can be good supplements to your diet, but are more likely to cause problems than whole foods.

    Agreed. I wouldn't worry about going over Fiber, however I know it can cause you constipation bc I've experienced that lol
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    I shoot for around around 40 grams a day and I try to get a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber.

    If you are eating a low fiber diet and suddenly and drastically increase your fiber amount then you'll end up with a very upset belly from gas and possibly constipation.

    If you are eating a lot of fiber you must also make sure you are getting plenty of fluids because otherwise all that fiber can just kind of stop you up.. If you're getting enough water then everything moves much more smoothly.

    The big danger of fiber is people who drink fiber supplements, or take fiber biscuits without enough water. The fiber can't work properly without the water and they get some serious digestion problems.

    There are some people who claim that you shouldn't have more than 35 grams a day because if you do the fiber will leech vitamins from your body. I've never seen any scientific study that supports this and it's next to impossible to eat a diet rich in fruit, veggies, beans and whole grains and stay under 35 grams a day.

    Some cultures of people such as Asians get 80 grams of fiber a day. Americans get too little fiber because too much of us are eating refined flours all the time and we use meat as our primary protein source.

    If you want to increase your fiber intake just take it easy and do it slowly and remember to get lots of fluids to help the fiber along.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Adding too much fiber too quickly can give you an upset stomach..... and so on (if you know what I mean). Try to add more fiber to your diet gradually. There are 2 kinds - soluble & insoluble.

    Soluble fiber prolongs digestion time in your stomach (helps keep you full longer & regulates blood sugar): dried beans, oats, peas, carrots, apples, oranges

    Insoluble fiber keeps things moving (in your colon): wheat, cauliflower, green beans, fruit skins
  • michelle2808
    michelle2808 Posts: 68
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    thank you for the information....I drink no less then 80oz of water a day (probablt more), so I'm getting enough fluids. What do you suggest I can do if I am constipated?
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    thank you for the information....I drink no less then 80oz of water a day (probablt more), so I'm getting enough fluids. What do you suggest I can do if I am constipated?

    Try eating more fat. I know that sounds off the wall, but I've found on high fiber low fat diets, I get constipated. I try to keep both in a healthy range and don't have many problems now.

    What an above poster said about fiber leaching vitamins, I've heard that too. However, as far as I know, as long as your fiber is coming from whole foods (i.e. fruits, vegetables, legumes), you will be getting plenty of vitamins to make up for any leaching.

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