Is it possible to eat too much fiber?

June 14, 2004 6:27 PM

Is it possible to eat too much fiber? And no, I don't mean fiber cabling.
posted by adampsyche to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

if you have a peptic ulcer, or suffer from gastritis, be careful with fiber, consult your physician. some -- not all of course -- of those patients react badly to high quantities of fiber, which is usually very healthy of course
posted by matteo at 7:10 PM on June 14, 2004

are you still regular?
posted by amberglow at 7:37 PM on June 14, 2004

everything has an ld-50
posted by jon_kill at 8:58 PM on June 14, 2004

Fiber without sufficient water can result in serious blockage. Different sorts of fiber react differently, of course. By definition, fiber is non-digestible to humans. Some of it is digestible by intestinal flora, and this may result in excess gas (bloating).
posted by Goofyy at 10:19 PM on June 14, 2004

Response by poster: Regular, I guess you can say that. I guess that I just keep hearing about the benefits of consuming plenty of fiber, and my coworker drinks this supplement that has him in the bafroom every three to four hours or so. Is this bad?
posted by adampsyche at 3:53 AM on June 15, 2004

Well, some people are on medically prescribed low-fibre diets, notably those with bowel problems or who have had bowel operations.

With regard to supplements, let your friend get on with it. I tried one of those yogurty type drinks for the recommended period and didnt like the effects. A friend of mine swears by them. The effect on you may be good, may be less good. Perhaps try it and see what if does?
posted by biffa at 5:46 AM on June 15, 2004

Maybe your cow-orker has some sort of fetish.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:39 AM on June 15, 2004