Is too much fiber bad for you?

Fiber is great. No doubt but what if your daily intake of fiber is more than recommended ? Is that good or bad for your diet and body?

It shouldn't hurt. It'll help clean out the system. Just watch out for the gas it may cause :)

BG

I want to say no - but I would consult your doctor. 

If you eat a lot of fiber be sure to drink a lot of water with it.  Too much fiber and too little water can cause constipation. I know, sounds weird.

many "experts" don't think the fiber recommendation is high enough, so you can go over it without fear of problems.

My own experience tells me that fiber is safe.  Beans (homemade only) seem to be the highest fiber food that I can find.  Last weekend, I cooked up three pounds of dried beans and mixed them with corn, onions, bell peppers, and a vinagriette.  I have been eating them for five days straight now, along with my high fiber cereal and fresh fruit.  We are talking about some very *serious* fiber here!  I don't sense any problem at all with this.  After all, why would I? 

What I have noticed is that for the first few days of eating these tons of beans is that I actually don't have much of a bowel movement.  People think that high fiber will suddenly send you to the toilet.  For me it takes a few days to "build up".  But once it does, oh boy.  It just flies right out of you, and in impressive volumes.  After another day or so of more beans, then you aren't given much choice to hold it in because it is so voluminous, soft, and urgent.  But none of it seems like a problem.  After a few more days of that you become more "regular" with it, so to speak. 

My advice to increasing your fiber consumption is that you do it gradually.  For me, fiber has been an important key in my weight loss.  It fills you up, yet more of it gets purged without even having a chance to be digested and stored as fat. 

I read in a nutrition textbook once that too much fiber creates these "fiber balls" in your intestines (can't remember the scientific name).  These "fiber balls" can block your GI tract.  You have to eat a TON of fiber for this to be problematic though.  I eat 30 grams or so every day and have never had a problem.