42g of fiber!

Today I ate 42g of fiber, without interntionally trying to get it this high. I eat loads of veggies/fruit/whole grains. Is this too much and could it be harmful?

No, I eat at least that much every day.  A high-fiber diet keeps you full longer and is shown to protect against cancer.  If your body isn't used to it, you might have some... digestive problems at first, but it's definitely not unhealthy.

From hungry-girl.com:


Dear Hungry Girl,

I often take in at least 40-50 grams of fiber a day.  Is it possible to get too much of the stuff?

--Feeding on Fiber



Dear Feeding,

Fiber is fantastic. But, like anything else, you can get too much of it. I turned to my email bud, Lisa R. Young, who is not only a PhD, RD, but also the author of The Portion Teller, for help with this one. Lisa says you can absolutely get too much fiber. She says, "While fiber has many wonderful health benefits, getting too much fiber is not a good idea. The main reason is this: it can bind and carry out needed minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc which so many people have a hard time getting. These binders in fiber act as chelating agents which link chemically with nutrients and then carry them out of the body. Too much fiber can also carry water out of the body and cause dehydration, stomach distress and feelings of bloating. It is recommended that most women obtain 25 grams of fiber. While 30 grams would be ok, consuming 40 or 50 grams would be too much!" So there you have it. No more ODing on fiber!

Thank you for your answers...the problem is that I'm not intentionnaly trying to eat that much fiber.It's just the things I like that contain a lot of it. For example today I had oatmeal and milk for breakfast, a banana, almonds, bulgur(loads of fiber)  beans and salad at lunch, an apple, air-popped popcorn, and for dinner broccoli and chicken. That's a normal one day menu isnt it? Should I replace for example bulgur with white rice something? That article got me thinking, I have low iron levels....

I usually wind up with 75g of fiber a day. It's kind of unavoidable for me.

I'm a bit skeptical that it can be THAT harmful. The article doesn't say to what extent the fiber flushes minerals out of the body. With the type of diet  you're eating, you are getting more vitamins and minerals than the average person. There's no way it can be bad to eat loads of vegetables. It wouldn't be a good idea to overload on fiber powder or something, no doubt.

Besides whisking out valuable minerals and nutrients from our diet, as said above it can also cause constipation (opposite of what it does when consumed in standard amounts) and horrible gas (yuck)! I think 40g is reasonable, 75g is way too much, but it's best to stay around 30g.

Insoluble fiber helps:

• Bowel Regularity -- Insoluble fiber, when taken with enough water, swells and softens the stool. This stimulates the intestinal muscles, thus helping to pass the stool and relieve constipation.
• Prevent Intestinal Disorders -- By speeding up the movement of food through the intestine, insoluble fiber reduces pressure in the intestine. This may help prevent hemorrhoids, spastic colon, and diverticulitis.
• Prevent Intestinal Cancer -- Increasing both the bulk and speed of food moving through the intestinal tract leaves less time for harmful substances to build.The shortened transit time of certain body toxins may help prevent cancer of the colon. Many researchers want to see more evidence before promising that fiber prevents cancer.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber dissolves in water. This kind of fiber is made up of sticky substances like gums and gels. Soluble fiber may help:

• Control Diabetes -- Extra fiber along with complex carbohydrates (starches) can make the hormone insulin work better. This allows patients to take less diabetes medication while keeping their blood sugar normal. Persons with diabetes often have sharp rises of blood sugar following meals. Increased soluble fiber in meals slows down the release of food into the intestine and keeps the blood sugar from rising rapidly.
• Lower Blood Cholesterol -- Foods high in soluble fiber can further lower the blood cholesterol of people who are already following a lowfat, low cholesterol diet. Soluble fiber probably works by increasing the passage of bile acids through the digestive tract. Cholesterol is taken out of the blood to form more bile acids. Some researchers think that smaller fragments of soluble fiber are absorbed into the bloodstream. These fragments may decrease the production of cholesterol.

Reference From here.

I consistently eat more than 40 grams of fibre everyday just from my ordinary food choices. I'm not eating Fibre One, Fibre bars, etc. Your diet sounds very healthy annie86. It's an individual choice, maybe if you think you aren't absorbing enough nutrients, try a some substituting and see what happens. I'm comfortable with my fibre levels right now and don't see any compelling reason to change...

Oh dear! 42g for me! But I nEED those minerals! Argh, what to do!

nycgirl: 75g is not excessive when you're eating 2500+ calories a day.

As long as you don't go haywire and consistently go over 100g, it isn't bad.

When they say it can "flush" out minerals and vitamins, it's not a large percent of the amount absorbed. So a person who doesn't have enough iron or calcium in the diet to start with could have a problem; however, if you make sure you meet the required level, you should be fine.

I usually get around 50g. I eat a lot of beans and lentils. Shoot me. :)

I easily average at least that much in a day. As long as you drink plenty of water and your body is used to a high fiber diet, it is a good thing. If your body isn't used to a lot of fiber you may be a bit gassy and crampy, but as the flora in your digestive tract adjust to a fiber rich diet, that will pass. 25 g is the minimum to shoot for, not the ideal amount. It is what is condsidered the minimum amount for a healthy adult, most experts think that 30 - 50 is probably the ideal for most people. but if you aren't used to a high fiber diet, it is recommended that you build up to that much slowly, and also get it over the course of a day, rather than all at one or two meals.