Fiber sources in your diet can help you maintain bowel function. This is because fiber binds with your digested foods, helping foods pass through your intestines more easily. If you do not eat enough fiber, you can experience adverse symptoms like constipation. However, eating certain amounts of fiber can temporarily cause adverse symptoms like bloating.
Why the Bloat
Fiber typically helps your digestive processes by adding bulk to your stool. However, if your body is unaccustomed to digesting a significant amount of fiber, you may experience some initial adverse symptoms. When fiber passes through your body, your intestines may give off more gas trying to process the added fiber. This is why high-fiber foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, pears, apples and peaches are associated with causing gas. The extra gas in your intestines can lead to bloating and discomfort.
Two Types
Two different types of fiber exist: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to create a gellike mixture in the intestines, which helps foods move through more easily. This fiber type is more commonly associated with causing bloating because soluble fiber sources are broken down in the intestines, where gas is emitted. Examples of soluble fiber include beans, peas and fruits. Insoluble fiber, such as that found in wheat bran and vegetables, is less commonly associated with causing bloating because this fiber passes through the intestines mostly unchanged.
Recommended Intake
How much fiber you should eat on a daily basis depends upon your age and gender. Men younger than age 50 should consume 38 g of fiber while women this age should have 25 g on a daily basis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Men ages 51 and older are recommended an intake of 30 g of fiber while 21 g per day should fit the bill for women age 51 and older. While whole foods like vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruits and seeds are good choices, it is possible to use fiber supplements as well. When you incorporate fiber slowly into your diet, eating more fiber will help you experience less bloating and constipation.
Recommendations
If you are adding fiber to your diet, avoid bloating by slowly increasing your intake. Add an extra serving of a fiber-containing food on a weekly basis until you reach your desired fiber intake. This gives your body time to adjust to increasing amounts of fiber. An additional method for reducing bloating symptoms is to increase your water intake, a wise step whenever ingesting fiber. The fiber in your stool will absorb the water, making it easier to pass.
References
- Go Ask Alice!; Gas, Bloating, Fiber?; July 2008
- Parents; 10 Ways to Beat Bloating; 2011
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Gas in the Digestive Tract; January 2008
- Harvard School of Public Health; Fiber: Start Roughing It!; 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Health Diet; November 2009
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