Fibermaxxing: How much is too much?

If you've heard the term "fibermaxxing," then you may have seen social media posts online about maximizing your fiber intake. But what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to fiber?

Alicia Bryan, Hallee Kimber and Lynsey Mills are graduate interns in the BYU Dietetics program. They gave a presentation at the BYU Wilkinson Student Center on Oct. 16, breaking down fiber.

Theres a lot of conversation online about, like, fibermaxxing, and theres like this big idea that you need a supplement in order to get your fiber intake, which is not accurate," Mills said. "Theres a lot of fiber in our foods, and if you are eating a well-rounded healthy diet, a lot of times you are getting that fiber.

They said how much fiber you need depends on your age and lifestyle, but the typical recommendation is 25 grams a day for women, and 38 grams for men.

Kimber said to listen to your own body because some bodies need more, other bodies need less."

Fiber is important because it helps lower cholesterol, slows sugar absorption and helps you feel full longer. But these dietitians said eating too much fiber at one time is not healthy.

Fiber helps to slow down your digestive tract, and it does that because its pulling water out through your body. So if youre having a lot of fiber, but not a lot of water, you can experience a lot of constipation," Mills said.

They said people should start with small amounts of fiber in their diet and work their way up to the recommended daily amount.

Simple tricks like eating fruit with the skin on and adding more beans and whole grains to your diet can help people meet their fiber goals, according to Mills.

Kimber said brown rice is kind of a difficult one for people" because of its texture and taste. She said incorporating half brown rice and half white rice into meals is an easy way to get the taste of white rice and the fiber benefits of brown rice.

It can be delicious; it doesnt have to be stale and not very tasty," Kimber said of eating more fiber.

If you are thinking about increasing your fiber intake, remember: low and slow, and dont forget to add water.

The BYU Employee Wellness YouTube channel has recordings of past food demos.