If you’ve spent time on social media lately, you may have noticed a new trend making the rounds: fibremaxxing. But is it possible to get too much fibre? The reality is that while many people could use a little boost in intake, you can, in fact, get too much of a good thing.
A quick refresher: Fibre is an indigestible carbohydrate found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, Jesse Bracamonte, DO, family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic says: “Your body can't break fibre down with the digestive enzymes, so it moves through the GI tract largely intact."
And how do I even know if I’m eating enough?
There are two main types of dietary fibre — soluble and insoluble — and many foods contain a combo of the two. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and forms a gel that helps slow digestion, providing a feeling of fullness and reducing post-meal blood sugar spikes, says Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, MS, RDN, CDCES, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of 360Girls&Women and B.E.A.T. Gestational Diabetes. It's found in foods like legumes, oats, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables.
Insoluble fibre, on the other hand, bulks up the stool and allows food to move swiftly from the stomach to the intestine, according to Anderson-Haynes. “Insoluble fibre is like a clean-up crew on a time crunch that quickly helps to get rid of the dirt, grime, and waste that is left behind after you move out of an apartment,” she says. This type of fibre is found in whole grains, wheat bran, and vegetables.
Both types of dietary fibre feed your gut bacteria, which improves your colon health, according to Dr. Bracamonte. It can even reduce your risk of colon cancer, Anderson-Haynes adds, which is on the rise among younger generations.
When I told my doctor about my stomach issues, she said it sounded like I had anxiety.
Research shows that 95% of the population doesn’t meet the recommended intake of dietary fibre — about 25 to 30 grams per day for adults, according to Dr. Bracamonte. But that doesn’t mean swinging the pendulum in the other direction is the best solution. In fact, going too hard on fibre could leave you not only feeling bleh but also negatively affect your overall health.
Here are three signs you might be getting too much of this nutrient in your diet.
1. You’re suddenly bloated, gassy, or constipated
Bloating, abdominal pain, and excess gas are all common consequences of increasing fibre intake, according to Rekha Chaudhary, MD, a hematologist-oncologist at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Centre and adjunct professor of hematology-oncology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
When you eat more of it, a bunch of gut bacteria get to work fermenting it, which creates gases that cause bloating, abdominal pain, and cramping, Joshua Edwards, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at UC Health Cincinnati.
Uncomfortable symptoms are more likely to occur if you drastically up the fibre in your diet and don’t drink enough water along with it. That’s because water is essential for helping you digest fibre so that it can move through your GI system and out of your body. “When fibre is increased, but fluid intake is insufficient, the increased bulk in stools may become hard to move, especially with soluble fibre, which can cause constipation,” Edwards explains. In people who already have frequent loose stools, he adds, loading up on insoluble fibre may increase transit speed and make diarrhoea worse.
To avoid GI issues, it’s best to stick close to the recommended daily amount of fibre and increase your intake slowly if you’re currently not getting enough, according to Edwards. “Taking two to four weeks to gradually increase your intake gives your digestive system time to adjust,” he says. At the same time, any increase in fibre warrants a simultaneous increase in hydration. “Drinking water regularly throughout the day supports good digestion and helps fibre move through your system more comfortably,” he says.
2. You notice unexplained symptoms like fatigue, brittle hair or nails, pale skin, or slower wound healing
Very high amounts of fibre — more than 70 grams per day — can bind to minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. This ultimately means they will leave your body when the fibre does, and you won’t absorb as much as you should, according to Edwards.
Minerals are vital for keeping the body working properly. They play roles in everything from bone and muscle health to heart and brain function. They’re also important for making hormones and enzymes. So when you’re essentially pooping them out, it can leave you depleted and depending on what’s low, cause symptoms like fatigue, brittle hair or nails, pale skin, or delayed wound healing. If you've been throwing back excess fibre and start noticing other random health symptoms or just feel off, it's worth checking in with your doctor to see what's up.
From the sniffles to brittle hair and gum disease.
In a similar fashion, too much fibre can also interfere with the absorption of certain medications, making them less effective. If you’re taking any prescriptions or supplements, Dr. Bracamonte suggests spacing them out with your fibre intake by about two hours to reduce the chance that the fibre will attach itself to them in your GI tract.
3. You have trouble finishing meals when you never used to
Fibre slows your digestion overall and helps you feel full, according to Dr. Bracamonte. It quite literally takes up space, telling your body that you’ve had enough to eat. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re consuming all the calories or nutrients you need for optimal energy and function.
“Fibre fills up the stomach with little to no calories to be absorbed by the body,” Edwards says. If you eat too much in one sitting, you run the risk of feeling uncomfortably full very quickly, and then not having the room to eat other important foods on your plate, such as protein and healthy fats, Edwards adds.
“The most helpful strategy to avoid this is to spread your fibre intake throughout the day,” Edwards says. “This prevents the feeling of being overly full during any single meal.” Also, remember that while fibre is a powerful nutrient that most people could stand to eat more of, it's meant to coexist alongside other foods. It should be one part of a balanced diet, not the entire thing.
A version of this article originally appeared in SELF.
