Fiber is found in many common foods and is a necessary part of your diet, especially for healthy digestion. Fiber affects certain digestive problems, like constipation and diarrhea, because of the way it passes through your digestive system. You do not get diarrhea from eating high-fiber foods, but those items can help relieve watery stool, as well as promoting regular bowel movements.
Fiber Definition
Fiber is bulky plant-based material found in foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and grains. The substance comes in two varieties -- soluble and insoluble -- according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Both fiber types come from dietary sources, but soluble fiber dissolves in water and the insoluble variety does not. The average adult should eat about 25 to 30 g of fiber each day for optimum digestive health, although most people do not consume this optimal amount.
Diarrhea Problems
Diarrhea means you pass loose watery stool rather than solid feces. This condition can lead to other problems, such as fecal incontinence, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse says. Watery stool quickly fills your rectum and is difficult to hold in, so you may experience leakage.
Fiber Function
All fiber promotes regular passing of stool, but soluble fiber affects diarrhea because of its ability to absorb water. Eating a lot of fiber wards off watery bowl movements because the soluble type absorbs the water and solidifies the feces, making it firmer so it requires a longer time to pass through your intestines, the University of Maryland Medical Center advises. This absorbency makes soluble fiber an effective treatment for mild to moderate cases of diarrhea.
Other Digestive Effects
Fiber fights constipation as well as diarrhea because it makes stool more bulky and moves it more efficiently through the intestines. Feces is less likely to get impacted in people who eat the recommended amount of fiber daily. Many constipation remedies also contain soluble fiber, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Fiber Benefits
Fiber has many medical benefits beyond treating constipation and diarrhea. The substance slows the body's absorption of starch and sugar, improving glucose tolerance in diabetics, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Fiber also helps lower cholesterol levels naturally, eases irritable bowel syndrome, lowers your heart disease risk and helps you eat less by making you feel sated more quickly than other foods.
Warning
While eating a large amount of fiber does not lead to diarrhea or constipation, soluble fiber may give you gas if you eat too much too quickly, Dr. Frank Jackson of Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology says. The excess gas does not harm you, but it can cause cramps and bloating and lead to embarrassment. Increase the amount of soluble fiber that you eat gradually to avoid this unpleasant effect.
