Dietary fiber, a category of indigestible carbohydrates, is an important part of your diet because it can help reduce your risk of becoming constipated, gaining weight and developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. However, eating too many high-fiber foods may increase stomach discomfort, if you don't regulate your intake.
Symptoms and Culprits
If your body isn't used to fiber, you may notice that you feel cramping, gas and bloating when you start adding it to your diet. Discomforts such as gas and bloating are more common with soluble fiber because gas is a byproduct of bacteria breaking down the fiber in your large intestine, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Soluble fiber is in foods such as oat bran, peas and fruits. Conversely, insoluble fiber passes almost unchanged through your intestines and causes very little gas. Wheat bran and some types of vegetables contain insoluble fiber.
Safely Increasing Intake
You can reduce or prevent discomfort by gradually including fiber in your daily meals over the span of three to four weeks. This will give the bacteria in your digestive tract an opportunity to adjust. If you begin to notice extra gas or bloating, you may be adding fiber in too quickly. Keep in mind that you should increase your fluid intake as you boost your daily fiber intake because liquids help your body digest fiber properly. Try for at least eight glasses of water, or no-calorie beverages such as unsweetened tea, per day, recommends the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Fiber and IBS
You are more likely to have persistent discomfort from eating fiber if you have a digestive condition such as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. When you have digestive troubles, gas can build up in your system because your intestines have extra trouble pushing food through at a steady pace. Still, fiber is especially important if you have IBS-related constipation because it helps make stool easier to pass, according to MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
If you have persistent gas, bloating and cramping problems when eating a fiber-rich diet, your doctor may recommend that you take a fiber supplement rather than getting all your fiber from foods. When you take a fiber pill or fiber powder with plenty of water each day, you will still reap the benefits of the fiber but will be less likely to experience the discomfort, according to MayoClinic.com. Ask your doctor to recommend a supplement and also get advice on how slowly you should introduce it into your daily diet.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: What I Need to Know About Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Inc.: Dietary Fiber
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- American Academy of Family Physicians: How to Increase Fiber in Your Diet
- MayoClinic.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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