If you’re considering adding a fiber supplement to your daily routine, talk it over with your healthcare provider. They can help you make the best decision for your health based on your individual medical history and needs, Dr. Ivanina says.
Note that adults under the age of 50 should aim for 25 to 38 grams (g) of fiber daily, depending on body size, while older folks should aim for 22 to 28 g per day. Your exact number depends on how many calories you eat, says Ivanina. You should be getting 14 g of fiber for every 1,000 calories. So if you eat 2,000 calories per day, that’s 28 g of fiber.
However, American adults average about 15 g of fiber per day, or about half the recommended amount.
To increase your numbers, choose more high-fiber foods, Phillips says. Aim for five servings of fresh fruits and veggies per day and at least one serving of whole grains like brown rice, oats, and whole-wheat bread or pasta per meal.
“Supplements are not a replacement for a fiber-rich, plant-forward diet, which provides other nutrients that support overall health and minimize cancer risk, too,” Phillips says.
Still, some groups may benefit from taking a fiber supplement, including:
People With Chronic Constipation
“Fiber supplements may support regularity for those with constipation,” Phillips says, especially for people who struggle to get enough fiber in their diet.
Fiber helps with constipation because it passes through the digestive system relatively intact. This helps move other material along with it and bulk up stool, making it easier to pass.
Research shows that psyllium (a type of fiber made from the seed husks of the Plantago ovata plant) in doses of more than 10 g per day is especially effective at relieving chronic constipation because it absorbs liquid in the intestines, causing it to swell and form a bulky, easy-to-pass stool.
People Following a Medical Diet
Fiber supplements can help fill in nutrient gaps for people who need to follow a restricted eating pattern for medical reasons, Phillips says — for example, a short-term elimination diet used to identify food allergies or sensitivities or a medically supervised very low calorie diet for obesity.
In such cases, when a person may not be able to eat enough high-fiber foods, a supplement can help them meet their daily recommended intake. However, it’s essential to consult your doctor before starting any new supplement when managing a medical condition, to ensure it’s suitable for you and won’t interact with any medications you’re currently taking.
People With High Cholesterol
Fiber’s not just good for your gut — it’s a boon for heart health, too.
The National Lipid Association recommends getting 5 to 10 g of soluble fiber per day from foods or supplements. Soluble fiber (a type of fiber that turns into gel during digestion) is found in foods like oats, flaxseed, and beans, as well as most fiber supplements. It keeps the body from digesting some of the cholesterol in other foods, which may help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol levels.
Research backs this up: Fibers like psyllium and guar gum have been shown to improve cholesterol levels.
One meta-analysis of psyllium’s effect on heart health found that taking at least 10 g of psyllium daily for at least two months led to an average reduction of 9 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) in both total and LDL cholesterol, which the authors noted was enough to potentially lower the risk of heart disease.
Another meta-analysis on guar gum supplementation for high cholesterol found that taking between 100 mg and 30 g per day for up to 24 months decreased total cholesterol by about 20 mg/dL and LDL cholesterol by about 17 mg/dL.
People With High Blood Pressure
Research has also shown that fiber supplements like psyllium can be a smart addition to your diet when you’re managing high blood pressure (hypertension). Fiber supports a healthy microbiome and the production of molecules called short-chain fatty acids, which help lower blood pressure.
For this reason, a recent expert review in the American Heart Association’s Hypertension journal concluded that there could be further benefits for women and men to get more than the recommended 25 to 38 g of fiber per day. Each additional 5 g per day is estimated to reduce systolic blood pressure (the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts) by 2.8 points and diastolic blood pressure (the pressure in your arteries while the heart rests between beats) by 2.1 points.
The effect is thought to be even greater for people who don’t have heart disease (a 3.1 and 4.3 reduction, respectively). The authors note that these numbers are significant enough to suggest that dietary fiber may help prevent heart disease.
Fiber supplements, along with a healthy diet, can help you reach these numbers, Phillips says.
People With Certain Digestive Conditions
A psyllium or methylcellulose fiber supplement may help relieve mild to moderate diarrhea in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic autoimmune disorders that cause inflammation in the digestive tract. These supplements may also lower inflammation in the gut and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in people with IBD, who are generally at higher risk for the disease.
However, research has also shown inconsistencies in how people with IBD respond to fiber supplements, with individuals responding differently to the same fiber amounts and types. So, it’s best for people with the condition to work with their healthcare team to find the best fiber type and dosage.
Fiber supplements may also help with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that affects the intestines, causing abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Psyllium taken in doses of 20 to 25 g per day may help improve the microbiome, decrease inflammation, and regulate bowel movements in people with the condition. However, more long-term research needs to be done to confirm this benefit.
People Who Need to Manage Blood Sugar
Because your body can’t break down fiber, it doesn’t cause spikes in blood sugar the way other types of carbohydrates can. So, getting enough in your diet can help you manage your blood sugar levels, especially if you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (which occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than healthy but haven’t reached the level of type 2 diabetes).
A fiber-rich diet is key for people with this condition. Research has also shown that fiber supplements like psyllium and beta-glucan can significantly reduce hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C, the average blood sugar levels over several months), fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin levels at an average dose of 13 g per day.
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