Your Cereal Might Be The Reason You’re Farting So Much
It’s been drilled into your mind by doctors, your mom, and cereal commercials: Fiber is good for you! They’re not wrong, either: Fiber helps you feel satisfied after eating, while also making sure that burger you ate actually gets digested properly.
So...the more fiber the better, right? Girl, no. There is definitely such a thing as eating too much fiber in one day, and once you overdo it, you'll never want to let that happen again. Trust me.
What is fiber, again?
Dietary fiber (or “roughage,” as your grandma might say) is a type of carbohydrate that’s found in plant foods like whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. After you eat it, it mostly passes straight through your digestive system, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Fiber can be broken into two camps: Soluble, which dissolves in water to make a gel-like substance, and insoluble, which doesn’t break down and passes through your digestive tract relatively intact.
“Dietary fiber is important in our diets because not only does it help regulate our bowel habits and improve our overall gut health, but it also has other systemic benefits such as improving blood sugar control, contributing to heart health by improving cholesterol and blood pressure, and helping with weight loss and management,” says Tara Menon, MD, a gastroenterologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Aim for 25 grams of fiber a day!
What are the signs you’ve eaten too much fiber?
If you hit your fiber sweet spot (which is around 25 grams a day for women), your digestive system should be working pretty well. But if you happen to have too much, you’re probably going to know it. Menon says the signs you’ve had too much fiber include:
Farting
Stomach pain or cramping
Gastroesophageal reflux
Cute! Basically, eating too much fiber means you’re going to be spending a lot more time on the toilet.
What can you do if you've gone overboard on fiber?
Unfortunately, there’s no magic pill that will absorb all that excess fiber and make it disappear out of your body. But you can treat the symptoms. If gas is your issue, taking an OTC gas-fighting pill that contains simethicone can help, Menon says. Diarrhea should pass, but if that’s gotten out of hand, you can also consider taking an anti-diarrheal medication to stop things up.
Yeah, fiber is important, but don't forget about protein! Check out these high-protein ice creams:
Are some diets more prone to excess fiber?
Given that plant-based foods are great sources of fiber, vegans and vegetarians are probably eating more fiber than the average carnivore, Menon says. But, she adds, “the majority of Americans do not consume enough fiber.”
If you feel like your symptoms are probably caused by having too much fiber, Menon recommends stepping down your fiber intake until you feel better. “Once your symptoms have improved, see if you can pinpoint any specific food that may have triggered your symptoms,” she says. Then, slow your roll on those foods in the future.
How can you make sure you’re eating a healthy amount of fiber?
You want to aim to get 25 grams of fiber a day (try tracking your intake for a few days if you're not sure where you stand). If you’re below that and you want to add more, Menon says it’s best to slowly add more fiber to your daily routine to work your way up to your goal.
If you're pretty sure you're not eating too much fiber, but are still experiencing some of the symptoms of a fiber OD, talk to your doctor to find out what's going on.
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