health
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.