Is eating too much fiber bad for your health?

I like vegetables, if I eat a lot, is excess fiber harmful to my health, what should I pay attention to? (Hoai Anh, Hanoi)

Reply:

Fiber is a group of substances including lignin, pectin, cellulose (digestible polysaccharides) in food. This nutrient is essential for health, good for the digestive system, and prevents constipation. However, too much fiber can be counterproductive, making constipation worse.

Many people who go to the doctor say they eat a lot of fiber but are still constipated. The cause may be an imbalance between soluble and insoluble fiber intake. Overuse of insoluble fiber causes stools to be hard, dense, large, and difficult to pass.

Insoluble fiber is abundant in water spinach, elephant foot yam (mint), bamboo shoots, pennywort, guava... Soluble fiber is abundant in Malabar spinach, jute, sweet potato, okra, sweet potato, dragon fruit, papaya, grapefruit, orange... The finer the fiber, the more likely it is to be broken down, assimilated, and dissolved.

In the digestive system, insoluble fiber helps food pass easily through the stomach and intestines, balances pH and prevents intestinal inflammation. Insoluble fiber also makes food bulk up, acting as a brush to sweep through the intestines to pull everything out through the digestive tract.

Meanwhile, soluble fiber has the ability to absorb water and dissolve in water. This substance is like a gel that helps stool move easily through the digestive tract, improving its firmness. The recommended amount of soluble fiber for children and adults is calculated differently. For children, the number of grams of fiber per day is equal to the child's age + 5. For example, a 5-year-old child should eat 10 grams of fiber per day. Adults should eat 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 kcal of food per day.

If you only prioritize fiber absorption, it is not enough to improve constipation and be good for overall health. You need to eat a variety of foods and balance the groups of starch, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals. If you are constipated, you need to provide enough water, eat enough meals, practice daily toilet habits, supplement probiotics to balance intestinal microflora, and exercise regularly.

Each person may have different nutritional and fiber needs. You can go to a nutritionist for an assessment, micronutrient testing, and advice on how and how much to supplement according to your physical condition.

Doctor Tran Thi Tra Phuong
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System

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