I’m sure many of us have seen the new trend: fibermaxxing. I argue that it isn’t a harmless trend, and here’s what to know before you start increasing your fiber intake.
About Fiber:
Fiber is such an important nutrient for us, and 90% of Americans don’t eat enough of it! The current recommendation for fiber intake is 14g of fiber per 1000 kcal consumed per day. So, for the average recommended 2000 kcal diet, ~28g of fiber is recommended. Fiber is an amazing carbohydrate that we can’t digest, and that’s what helps our GI tract. There are two kinds of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber absorbs water, forming a gel in our gut. This is great for slowing digestion down and can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Insoluble fiber, however, helps our gut motility.
The Good:
This trend is amazing in some ways. Fibermaxxing raises awareness for how much fiber we consume in a day, which foods increase it, and how to increase our daily intake. As I said, most Americans don’t eat enough fiber! Something to consider is that colon cancer has been on the rise in young people (individuals under 50), and has doubled since 1990. This is not to say that a lack of fiber has caused this rise in cancer; multiple factors are involved, but adding more fiber can significantly reduce risk.
The Bad:
Fibermaxxing can be a great thing (if you do it correctly), but like anything, if taken to an extreme, it can have drawbacks if someone doesn’t know how to increase their fiber intake or listens to unqualified influencers for diet advice. Online, we’re seeing recommendations from influencers to eat 70-90g of fiber, and this can be very harmful for people trying to do this who don’t already eat a high-fiber diet. This “recommendation” is sometimes over 3x the general recommendation! But if you are just trying to increase your overall fiber intake healthily, here are some things experts recommend. One important thing when adding more fiber to your diet is to start slowly, as too much fiber overnight can cause gastrointestinal distress and discomfort.
Additionally, our water intake becomes much more important when we increase our fiber intake! Fiber absorbs water, so if there isn’t enough water, it can become dry in our gut and cause blockages. Drastically increasing fiber can also cause flare-ups in people with IBS, Crohn’s Disease, and other GI conditions. Lastly, too much fiber can reduce the body’s ability to absorb minerals it needs, but this is more common with extreme fiber diets.
My thoughts:
I love that more people are aware of fiber intake. Hopefully, the fibermaxxing trend helps reduce the number of Americans who aren’t getting enough of it. However, like anything, this trend can be exploited and perpetuate misinformation. So when increasing your fiber intake, look into the national guidelines, advice from medical professionals/registered dietitians, or see a professional for more personalized advice; not an influencer online telling you to eat 70+g of fiber a day.
For more interest in the Fibermaxxing trend, here’s a video from a registered dietitian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBz7iHswRgI
Sources:
https://www.cancerresearch.org/blog/colorectal-cancer-awareness-month
https://www.integrativenutrition.com/blog/fibermaxxing-benefits-risks-how-to-do-it-safely