Monica explores whether fiber supplements like Metamucil or Benefiber are necessary for digestive health. While fiber is crucial for digestion, heart health, and the gut microbiome, most people fall short of the recommended intake. Can a fiber-rich diet provide all the fiber you need without the uncomfortable side effects of supplements?
Monica explores whether fiber supplements like Metamucil or Benefiber are necessary for digestive health. While fiber is crucial for digestion, heart health, and the gut microbiome, most people fall short of the recommended intake. Can a fiber-rich diet provide all the fiber you need without the uncomfortable side effects of supplements?
Nutrition Diva is hosted by Monica Reinagel. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast, a show where we sort fact from fiction and answer your questions about food and nutrition so that you can feel more confident about your choices. I’m your host, Monica Reinagel, and today’s episode was inspired by an email from Cheryl Ann, who wrote:
“I have diverticulosis and was told to take Metamucil every day. I do this, but it makes me gassy. I probably already have more fiber in my diet than most people. Do I really need this supplement?”
We talk about fiber on this podcast a lot. It’s a key player in digestive health, of course, as well as heart, bone, and even brain health. And a lot of people use fiber supplements like Metamucil or Benefiber on a daily basis–either to manage conditions like diverticulosis or chronic constipation or because they’re not sure if they’re getting enough fiber from their diet.
But, as Cheryl Ann has experienced, they can sometimes cause harmless but uncomfortable symptoms like gas and bloating. In some cases, a different fiber supplement may solve the problem. But in other cases, a supplement may not actually be necessary.
So, how much fiber do you need? You may have seen 25 or 30 grams as the recommended amount. But that is just a ballpark estimate, because the recommended daily allowance for fiber is scaled to how many calories you eat. The official guideline is 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat.
Of course, everyone’s calorie needs are a little different, depending on your size and level of activity. But if you eat about 1800 calories a day (which might be typical for a small to medium-size body), that works out to 25 grams per day. If you’re eating more like 2500 calories (which might be more typical for a medium to large sized body), that would be 35 grams of fiber. And it doesn’t have to be super precise. A little more fiber day, a little less the next is no problem.
Unfortunately, however, most people aren’t even close to those numbers. The average adult in the U.S. is only getting about half the recommended amount of fiber. So you can see why fiber supplements might seem like a good idea. But before we go there, let’s just talk about what it would take to get the recommended amount of fiber from your diet.
A day that hits the mark might look something like this:
Altogether, that adds up to around 30 to 40 grams of fiber.
Of course, every day might not look exactly like this, and that’s okay.
Some days you’ll get more, some days less. It’s the overall pattern that matters. But this should demonstrate getting enough fiber from food is very doable.
(Those of you who use my Nutrition GPA app will probably notice that if you’re scoring well in the app, you probably don’t need to worry about getting enough fiber!)
But let’s say that this is not (yet) your typical dietary pattern. Would a fiber supplement be a way to close that gap? Well, yes. But here’s something that might surprise you.
It may seem like taking a tablespoon of Metamucil or Benefiber each day would be a convenient way to compensate for a somewhat low-fiber diet. But a dose only contains about 3 grams of fiber–just 10-15% of the recommended amount. It’s just not all that much.
While a fiber supplement isn’t a very practical way to replace fiber-rich foods in the diet, there are times when a fiber supplement may serve a more specific, therapeutic role—beyond just filling a gap.
For example:
In addition, health professionals often recommend a fiber supplement to patients who are complaining of constipation or have been diagnosed with diverticulosis–because a higher fiber diet is known to be helpful in these situations. The care provider may simply believe that you’re more likely to use a supplement than to adopt a higher fiber diet. But if you are willing to prioritize fiber in your diet, it may be unnecessary. And, in fact, it is possible to over do it. Excessive amounts of fiber (whether from diet or supplements) can cause digestive discomfort–and potentially even interfere with nutrient absorption. Ironically, too much fiber can also cause constipation, especially if you’re not taking in enough fluids.
Now, I know having said that, some of you are going to write to me to ask how much fiber is too much. There is no official guideline. But intakes of 60-70 grams per day would appear to be safe–as long as it doesn’t cause any discomfort. And you’d definitely want to work up to that gradually, and accompany that with plenty of fluids. But seeing as the average fiber intake for American adults is only 10-15g a day, I think most people don’t need to worry about getting too much,
If you decide that a fiber supplement makes sense for you—either to help with regularity, to support cholesterol or blood sugar levels, or to fill in some dietary gaps, you have some options.
Fiber, in general, can be sorted into two big categories: soluble and insoluble. As the name suggests, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. Instead, it adds bulk to your stool and helps food move through your system more quickly. This is what our grandmothers used to refer to as “roughage”. Foods like wheat bran are good sources of insoluble fiber.
Most fiber supplements, on the other hand, are primarily soluble fiber–meaning that they dissolve in water. They can also help with constipation by making stool softer. Soluble fiber’s other big trick is providing a food source for our gut bacteria. This is great for the microbiome and gut health. But the fermentation of soluble fiber by gut bacteria is what is responsible for the gas and bloating that some people experience.
But even among soluble fiber supplements, there are some differences.
One advantage of relying on diet to provide most (or all) of your fiber is that you don't need to worry so much about these details. By consuming a variety of plant foods, you will automatically be getting a blend of insoluble and soluble fiber, with a mix of slower- and faster-fermenting fibers. But if you decide that you want to incorporate a supplement, hopefully you now have a better understanding of what to look for. Just remember that fiber supplements will generally provide a relatively small amount of your total fiber intake.
Thanks so much to Cheryl Ann for submitting a question. If you have a question you'd like me to answer, you can email me at nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com You can also leave me a message at 443-961-6206
If you’d like to find out about having me speak at your next live or virtual event, you can learn more at wellnessworkshere.com
Nutrition Diva is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Our team includes Brannan Goetschius, Nathan Semes, Davina Tomlin, Holly Hutchings, Morgan Christianson, and Nate Hoopes.
That's all for this episode. Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week.