The 'fibermaxxing' trend has health benefits worth the hype

Short Wave

You should probably eat more fiber. Here's why — and how to do it

Yes, most people need more fiber

It's recommended that people eat 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories – which works out to roughly 25 to 38 grams of fiber each day, depending on your gender. But only about 1 in 10 Americans meets those goals. The average U.S. adult only gets about 10 to 15 grams a day.

Holscher says they're missing out on lots of proven health benefits.

"Consuming adequate fiber helps reduce your risk of developing obesity, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, lowers your risk for certain types of cancer, especially colorectal cancer," Holscher says. "So there are just a range of benefits, from cardiometabolic health to gastrointestinal health."

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Getting enough fiber can also help manage blood sugar levels and yes, research has indeed found it lowers the risk of dying earlier. And fiber is also the primary fuel source for the trillions of microbes that live in your gut and influence many aspects of health – from your immune system to mood, notes Holscher, whose research focuses on the microbiome.

In other words, as far as nutrients go, fiber really is all that.

"So when someone comes to me and says, I want to add more fiber into my day, I get really excited," says Yasi Ansari, a registered dietician in Los Angeles.

But, she says, you need to be strategic about how you go about it.

Focus on whole foods

The best place to get fiber is from plant foods. Some foods – like whole grains, kale, nuts and seeds – are good sources of insoluble fiber, which helps keep digestion moving. Other foods are rich in soluble fiber, which is helpful for managing cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Oats, beans, lentils, mushrooms, chia seeds and apples are all good sources, Ansari says.

"A lot of these foods have a little bit of both" types of fiber, Ansari says. "So the good thing is, regardless of which source of fiber you choose, you're probably getting a little bit of both."

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And while fiber supplements can be helpful, Ansari says it's best to get most of your fiber from whole foods because they also contain other beneficial nutrients.

"We're also getting the antioxidants that those fiber rich foods are providing us – so a lot of those micronutrients, the vitamins and minerals and the antioxidants that support our health," Ansari says.

Don't forget variety

And don't rely on just one source of fiber to meet your needs. Holscher notes that our many different gut microbes break down different fibers – so eating a variety of plant-based foods helps ensure all those microbes get fed so they can keep us healthy.

She notes that one study found that people who ate more than 30 different sources of plant-based fiber a week also had more gut microbes that produce chemical messengers known to boost health. Holscher says a good goal is to aim for five different fiber sources each day. She says you can probably easily find that in your kitchen.

"You know, do I have an apple and orange banana that's sitting in my fruit bowl? Can I open up my fridge and pull out some carrots, celery and berries?" she says. "And then in my pantry, I've got a bag of nuts. Or I'm making overnight oats before I head out the door – those kinds of things."

Candace Pumper, a staff dietician with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says she recommends fiber layering – or finding ways to mix different types of fiber into foods you already enjoy.

"It could be adding apple slices and walnuts to oatmeal, stirring tart cherries and pumpkin seeds into Greek yogurt, spreading avocado or hummus on 100% whole grain or sprouted grain bread, even adding beans or lentils to salads, soups or stews."

Go slow, and don't overdo it

While aiming to eat more fiber is a lofty goal, there are some precautions. Pumper says people with certain conditions, like IBS or Crohn's disease, should talk to their doctor first, because eating too much fiber, or the wrong kinds, can make symptoms worse.

Life Kit

Easy ways to add more fiber to your diet

In general, it's best to build up fiber slowly – maybe just add a few extra grams to each meal to start. Too much too soon can lead to bloating and gas. It's also important to drink plenty of water to help the fiber move smoothly through your digestive system.

Holscher says think of it as taking "a couch to 5k" approach to boosting your fiber intake. "You want to slowly incorporate that fiber. We've got to walk before we can run," she says. Give your gut time to adjust.

So how much fiber is too much? Some social media influencers call for eating as many as 80 or more grams of fiber per day. While that's actually not uncommon in some cultures with traditionally high-fiber and predominantly plant-based diets, "someone who is not really accustomed to consuming that high of a fiber intake and suddenly ramps up to 70 to 90 grams per day could along the way experience a lot of kind of adverse effects," says Berkeley Limketkai, a gastroenterologist with UCLA Health.

It's best not to take any health trend to extremes, Pumper says. "Our bodies function best with balanced, gradual changes, not extremes. Which is why the goal should be meeting your daily fiber needs, not trying to max them out."

In other words, don't go overboard. After all, the ultimate goal isn't to jump on a trend but to create a lifelong, sustainable fiber habit.