Most grocery stores and health food stores offer a multitude of bars that can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack or for dessert. Some of these bars have a high fiber content to help you meet your fiber requirements, which range between 25 and 38 g depending on your sex and age. Unfortunately, some ingredients used in these fiber bars can cause gastrointestinal side effects in some people, including excess gas and bloating.
Wheat
Most fiber bars are wheat-based and contain wheat flour, wheat bran, wheat germ or other wheat-derived ingredients. Although wheat may be a good source of fiber, it is also rich in fructans, a short-chain fermentable carbohydrates that can be fermented in your digestive tract, creating a lot of gas and causing bloating and flatulence. Wheat is the largest source of fructans for most people and can be especially problematic if you have a sensitive digestive system, have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or suffer from other gastrointestinal conditions.
Inulin
Inulin, which should not be confused with insulin, is a type of fiber that is considered a prebiotic. Prebiotics constitute food for the gut-friendly bacteria living in your gut flora, and a lot of foods promoted as being healthy are enriched with inulin. Inulin is mostly obtained from chicory root or Jerusalem artichoke. If you have an imbalance in your gut flora, inulin may be over-fermented by the bacteria in your intestines, producing a lot of gas as a result. Read ingredient lists and choose a fiber bar that is free of inulin, chicory root or Jerusalem artichoke if you suspect this ingredient is causing you to produce too much gas.
Dried Fruits
Some fiber bars also contain dried fruits, which are a good source of fiber and a concentrated source of energy. If you are prone to flatulence and gastrointestinal problems, dried fruits may be a problematic ingredient for you. Many fruits contain different types of short-chain fermentable carbohydrates, such as fructose, fructans, sorbitol and mannitol, which can also be fermented in your gut, producing excess gas as a result. Try fiber bars that do not contain dried fruits to see if your flatulence and excess gas production improve.
Sweeteners
A lot of fiber bars are sweetened either with high-fructose corn syrup, agave syrup or honey. The sugar found in these sweeteners differs slightly from the composition of the sugar found in regular table sugar or maple syrup. High-fructose corn syrup, agave syrup and honey contain a higher proportion of free fructose. If you are a fructose malabsorber, and many people are not aware they are, the unabsorbed fructose that stays in your gut can be used by the bacteria in your intestines, which can produce a lot gas. Some people with fructose malabsorption can also experience bloating, pain, diarrhea or constipation when eating fiber bars sweetened with these high-fructose ingredients.
References
- "Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology"; Evidence-Based Dietary Management of Functional Gastrointestinal Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach; Peter R Gibson and Susan J Shepherd; 2010
- "IBS -- Free at Last!: A Revolutionary, New Step-by-Step Method for Those Who Have Tried Everything. Control IBS Symptoms by Limiting FODMAPS Carbohydrates in Your Diet"; Patsy Catsos; 2009
- "The Low FODMAP Diet - Reducing Poorly Absorbed Sugars to Control Gastrointestinal Symptoms"; Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University; 2010
