Is it true that ... you can never eat too much fibre?
Fibremaxxing is everywhere, and most of us should eat more roughage, but your gut won’t thank you for overloading
TL;DR
- Fibremaxxing, the trend of maximizing fibre intake, is popular among health influencers.
- Fibre is beneficial for digestion, lowers the risk of bowel cancer and heart disease, reduces bad cholesterol, controls blood sugar, and promotes fullness.
- While ancestral diets may have included up to 100g of fibre daily, modern guts may struggle to tolerate such amounts.
- Increasing fibre intake too rapidly can cause bloating and discomfort, as the gut needs time to adapt.
- Consuming over 50g of fibre daily can become restrictive or obsessive.
- Even small increases in fibre, such as an extra 7g a day, are linked to lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer.
- An additional 5g of fibre per day is associated with a 5% lower risk of depression.
- To increase fibre intake safely, do so gradually, drink plenty of fluids, and pay attention to how your body responds.