Understanding Your Daily Fiber Intake: A Comprehensive Guide

From Looksmaxxing to sleepmaxxing and the countless iterations minted in between, each bearing the now-ubiquitous suffix used to repackage rudimentary self-care concepts for the terminally online, we’ve spent the past two years respectfully nodding along as though any of this were new information. Well, no more. We are finally calling time of death on the whole “maxxing” thing. But before we do, it seems unfair to cast maxxing’s lantern out to sea without first paying our respects to fibremaxxing — one of the few topics actually deserving of its recent maxxed-out virality, regardless of how arbitrarily timed it might be. Fibremaxxing simply means consuming more fibre — something that admittedly has no defensible reason to be any more of a talking point at this moment than the moments that came before it. But the reality is, it’s always a good time to talk about fibre. According to NHS data, most adults don’t come even close to hitting the daily recommendation of 30 grams, and it’s a failure that could be taking a steep and insidious toll on our collective health. “I love the idea of people actually caring about fibre right now,” says Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Health. “Fibre is the one thing people never talk about. It's the forgotten part of our diets. But it’s necessary for good health.” So before we minimise maxxing for good, here’s a quick refresher on why, when it comes to your health, fibre should always be a trending topic and how much fibre you should be getting every day. What is fibre, again? “If you think of a plant and its cellular construction, fibre is the cell wall of the plant that gives it structure and strength,” says Dr Hunnes. “When we eat a plant food, that cell wall is what we’re talking about when we’re talking about fibre.” “Fibre is essentially a non-digestible carbohydrate that is crucial to our health,” says Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, cofounder of Mohr Results. The reason we don’t normally group fibre with carbs is because it’s metabolised quite differently. In fact, a lot of the time, it’s not metabolised at all. There are two main kinds of fibre — soluble and insoluble — and the primary role of both types is to help move food through your digestive system at a healthy pace. “Generally speaking, fibre does not get digested and absorbed,” Dr. Hunnes says. Even though fibre essentially passes right through you, it’s beneficial for a number of reasons, including its ability to prevent constipation, maintain steady blood sugar levels, and maximise nutrient absorption. What are the benefits of ‘maxxing’ fibre? Look, when it comes to the things that you put in your body, literally nothing should be taken to the maximum. Not even water. (Hence why the whole idea of “maxxing” should be banished from the pop culture wellness lexicon.) That said, fibre is incredibly important, and you should at least be trying to ensure you’re getting enough of it. When fibre moves food through the digestive tract, it’s also shuttling away things that might otherwise overstay their welcome in your gut. “Fibre is like the vacuum cleaner of the digestive tract,” Dr Hunnes says. “If you don't get enough fibre, the stool kind of just sits there and can create certain types of toxins. Also, when the stool is not moving quickly enough, it can create little ‘pouches’ in the colon, called diverticuli, which can trap bacteria, create inflammation, and potentially increase the risk of colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and just inflammation in general.” Inflammation, of course, is considered the root of all evil when it comes to health conditions, so it’s no surprise that fibre intake has also been linked to the immune system, cognitive function, heart health, and more — not to mention the laundry list of downstream health benefits of maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. And if you’re resolving to lose weight in the new year, consider fibre your friend. “It certainly helps fill you up,” Dr Mohr says. “When there are fibre-rich foods included in your meals or snacks, it’s going to increase satiety and help decrease the overall calories that you consume.” Which foods contain a lot of fibre? Pretty much any plant-based food is going to contain fibre. But if you’re looking to be as efficient as possible with your fibre intake, some foods will get you more bang for your buck than others. “One of the best foods out there is going to be beans,” says Dr Mohr. “You get a whole lot of soluble fibre, they're inexpensive, they're convenient, and a single serving of beans can literally get you almost halfway to your daily fibre recommendation.” Chia seeds, almonds, lentils, and oats are other fibre-packed options that are just as easy to throw into salads, shakes, meals, and snacks. Of course, you can also find fibre in supplement form. If you choose to go that route, it’s especially important to stay on top of your hydration. “Supplements don't behave in the body in the same way that fibre from a whole food does,” says Dr. Hunnes. “Whole food has a synergistic effect. It has water in it. It contains both types of fibre. It has vitamins and minerals. It has all kinds of other things that, when you take it as a whole, does more for you than just fibre.” That said, if supplements are what it takes to get you to your daily fibre target, there’s nothing wrong with that, provided you’re drinking plenty of water. “I have no problem adding a fibre supplement,” says Dr. Mohr. “I regularly add psyllium husk to my diet, even though I eat a lot of those whole foods as well. You just don't want supplements to be your sole source of fibre.” How much fibre you should be getting every day? The NHS recommends aiming for a combined total of 30 grams of soluble and insoluble fibre per day. But you can certainly surpass that. In the US, for instance, the recommended daily intake for fiber (ahem, fibre) is 38 grams. Your fibre requirement also depends partially on your overall food intake, as fibre should ideally be consumed in relative proportion to the rest of your diet. As a rule of thumb, Dr. Hunnes recommends eating 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories. Before you worry about consuming too much fibre, start by making sure you’re at least hitting these targets. “Most people aren’t even getting half of that a day,” says Dr. Mohr. “Men and women alike are drastically under-consuming fibre. The last statistic I saw, 90 percent of women don't hit their recommendation, and it's 95 percent for men. So, yeah, we're way off from where we need to be.” Either way, there’s little to no serious risk associated with going overboard on fibre as long as you’re staying hydrated. And if you’re getting your fibre primarily from natural sources, you probably are. “If you're getting your fibre from whole foods, it's kind of hard to overdo it, because a lot of the whole foods that you're eating also contain a lot of water,” Dr. Hunnes says. “It's only when people are eating a lot of extra fibre from fibre supplements, for example, and not drinking enough fluid that there could potentially be the risk of constipation or an obstruction,” Dr. Hunnes says. “But again, I would say drink a lot of fluid, stay mobile, go for walks, and that would probably solve your issue.” Finally, if you’re planning to increase your fibre intake, Dr. Hunnes recommends easing in at first. “You don't want to suddenly go from five grams of fibre per day to 50 grams of fibre per day, because you would probably feel some discomfort as your intestinal tract gets more accustomed,” she says. “It takes a bit of an adjustment period, so adding a little bit at a time would be a good idea.” “One of fibre's side effects is gas, and that could certainly have a negative immediate effect if you go from pretty much nothing to suddenly eating as much as you can,” says Dr. Mohr. That could be pretty uncomfortable for your GI system — and everyone around you. Via gq-magazine.co.uk