Signs You’re Including Too Much Fiber in the Diet

The addition of fiber-rich foods in your everyday diet can help prevent constipation, ward off colon cancer, encourage healthy weight loss, and control cholesterol and blood sugar. However, it’s an entirely different thing if you consume way too much fiber. Instead of ending up with various perks, you might find yourself facing all sorts of digestive issues.

So how much fiber should you have in a day? According to the US Department of Agriculture or USDA, the amount of fiber you need to consume per day depends on your caloric intake. As a general rule of thumb, every 1,000 calories consumed should include 14 grams of fiber. Someone who is consuming 2,000 calories per day, for instance, needs to include foods in the diet that yield 24 grams of fiber.

Let us now take a look at some of the signs that you are eating more fiber than you should on a daily basis:

Diarrhea

We all know that getting enough fiber can help keep your bowel movement regular. However, consume too much of it and you may end up going to the bathroom frequently. Especially if you increase your fiber consumption too suddenly, diarrhea is very much likely to strike.

Constipation

Sometimes, you may also end up constipated if you consume more fiber than necessary. This is most especially true if you are not consuming enough water or you’re not getting enough physical activity. Remember to drink lots of water and exercise on a regular basis when introducing more fiber in your diet to keep constipation from bugging you.

Dehydration

Fiber soaks up lots of water. This only means that too much fiber in the diet will cause lots of water to be pulled inside the colon, leaving the rest of your body potentially dehydrated. There are a couple of rules to remember: consume the right amount of fiber daily and drink plenty of water.

Weight Gain

Everyone knows that a diet that’s rich in fiber can help get rid of excess pounds. So should you consume more fiber than recommended to lose weight faster? Not really. You may actually end up gaining weight if you eat more fiber-rich foods than you should. It has something to do with the fact that fiber absorbs lots of water, which can make you gain water weight. Also, too much fiber can lead to constipation, and this can register on the bathroom scale as extra pounds.

Nausea

Usually, feeing queasy after a meal means that you just had too much greasy or spicy food. But there are instances, too, when it’s an indicator that you consumed more fiber than your stomach could handle. Fiber is indigestible but your tummy will still attempt to digest it anyway. Give your stomach way too much fiber to attempt to process and it will only wind up distressed, and this may give you nausea.

Gas

There are many different of fiber-rich foods that are known to increase gas production, like beans and broccoli. Needless to say, you may find yourself really gassy if you include way too much fiber in your daily diet. Stick to the right amounts of fiber to avoid sheer embarrassment.

Abdominal Pain

It’s not unlikely for you to experience pain in the abdominal area, including the flank and lower back, if you consume excessive amounts of fiber. That’s because too much fiber slows down the passing of lots of undigested food particles through the intestine, sometimes causing sharp pain. The fact that excessive gas can also cause discomfort can only make that abdominal pain worse.

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