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Guest post written by Nia Hawrysh, Dietetics Student from the University of Ottawa and edited by Jennifer Neale, RD
Welcome back to our 3-part mini series on fibre. In case you missed them, you can check out Part 1 and 2 below.
If you missed Part 1, where we talk about what fibre is and how much you need daily, check out the first post in our fibre mini-series here.
Want to learn more about including more high-fibre foods in your diet? Make sure you read Part 2 of this mini series.
In this last blog post, we're going to chat about fibre supplements, whether or not you actually need a supplement, and what kind of supplement you should take if you do decide to take one.
All over the internet, we see different content creators pushing the use of fibre supplements BUT do you actually need one?
Short answer: you probably don't need a fibre supplement.
Many of us may want to take a fibre supplement because it’s easy and because diet culture has really scared us away from eating food. We assume that a supplement will provide the same health benefits as a high-fibre diet, but this is not currently supported by clinical research.
Remember in the first blog post on fibre, I mentioned that only 50% of Canadians are meeting their fibre needs? If you fall into this category, and you are struggling to meet your needs consistently with food, you could experiment with a supplement in the meantime. However, I think the ultimate goal is still to ramp up your fibre intake through whole foods so that eventually you don’t need the supplement.
A fibre supplement may also be of use for people struggling with IBS or some other bowel irregularities that don't seem to be improving. If you are struggling with constipation or diarrhea, choosing the right fibre supplement could be beneficial.
It is important to note that not all types of fibre supplements work, and certain ones can even make symptoms worse. I would always recommend working with a Dietitian who specializes in gut health to find what works for you (I don’t specialize in this area, but here are a few dietitians whom I refer to: Keren Reiser, Connie Tuttle, and the team at Ignite Nutrition).
Only a few fibre supplements have been studied for their effectiveness, and research has shown that most fibre supplements do not provide any of the health benefits associated with a high‐fibre diet. A lot of these health benefits that fibre supplements claim are typically associated with specific characteristics (for example, a supplement’s gel-forming ability), and only a minority of these products on the market actually have these traits. The way that supplements are manufactured and processed could also reduce how effective they are.
If you do choose to take a fibre supplement, look for a psyllium-based one.
Psyllium has been clinically proven to provide all of the health benefits typically associated with fibre. It absorbs water in the intestine, which softens stool and helps regulate bowel movements and frequency. It’s important to note that you need to drink a lot of water to make sure that these work. If not, you can make constipation symptoms worse.
The bottom line is that, while some fibre supplements (mainly psyllium) do have some health benefits, this is not true of all fibre supplements. This means if you are looking for all-around health benefits and chronic disease prevention/management properties of fibre, opt for getting your fibre from a wide variety of foods, not supplements.
As much as I love the internet, whenever a nutrient blows up online, it becomes the sole focus. When we are so focused on fibre, we can forget that other nutrients exist. I think this is why people tend to gravitate towards supplements. They know that they need more fibre; a supplement provides only fibre, therefore, they feel like they are meeting their needs and can forget about it.
However, one of the reasons that fibre supplements are not as effective as getting fibre from food is that food provides other nutrients. Foods that are high in fibre also contain other beneficial nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that contribute to important bodily functions.
Food also needs to be broken down and digested by the body in order for the body to obtain nutrients. A fibre supplement doesn’t typically have to be broken down and digested by the body. While researchers don’t always know why that’s important, it does seem to make a difference in how effective supplements are compared to food (this is true for many supplements, not just fibre).
It is also important to know that most fibre supplements have additives such as flavouring, artificial sweeteners, added sugars, and colouring agents. While I don’t necessarily see that as bad, most high-fibre foods don’t contain those things, so if your body feels better avoiding them, sticking to whole foods is a better option.
Want to see what a high-fibre day of eating could look like? Enter your email below to get your free copy of my Sample High-Fibre Meal Plan.
When it comes to comparing supplements vs whole foods, we should consider the price point. Many fibre supplements are quite expensive if you are following the recommended dosage on the package (which can be quite high for some of these supplements). For many of these fibre supplements, you should be prepared to purchase a new bottle of supplements every month (or less).
In researching this article, we examined a popular gummy fibre supplement that contained 105 gummies per bottle. That sounds like a lot, right? However, if you were taking the recommended dose on the label (2-3 gummies, 3 times a day for a total of 6-9 gummies per day), this $30 bottle would last 12-18 days. You would be spending more than $1.60 a day to get a nutrient we can easily get in whole foods, along with so many other beneficial nutrients.
When we start focusing on one nutrient, it’s easy to get sucked into more-is-better thinking. BUT more is not always better when it comes to fibre.
Excessive amounts of fibre can cause digestive discomfort with symptoms of constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, and gas. That does not sound fun to me, and it’s typically the opposite effect we’re hoping for when we start to increase fibre intake. Having too much fibre may also have an impact on the absorption of essential minerals from foods, such as iron, zinc or calcium.
Aiming to reach the daily recommended intake listed earlier is your best option. Consuming more than the recommended amount won't necessarily cause harm (just a lot of discomfort, which likely becomes its own limiting factor), but it also won't give you more benefits.
Pro Tip: When adding more fibre to your diet, start low, go slow, and drink a lot of water.
Short answer: No, fibre alone does not cause weight loss. But fibre can help us feel fuller, which can help us feel satisfied after meals and potentially avoid urges to overeat later. That being said, fullness and satisfaction are subjective and variable, so this may not be true for everyone.
Many high-fibre foods have lower energy density, meaning they have a lower amount of calories per gram. This often means that you can eat a large amount of them while still not consuming many calories. Many of our fruits and vegetables fit into this category due to their high water content. However, this is not always true when considering other high-fibre foods like avocados and nuts, which are also amazing, nutrient-filled foods high in fibre.
If you consume a lot of high-fibre, low-energy-dense foods, they can take up a lot of space in your stomach, which may reduce the total amount of food consumed in a day. This is likely why fibre is being promoted for weight management and “fat-burning”. However, we know that body size is much more complicated and nuanced than calories in vs calories out.
Another potential benefit of many high-fibre foods is that they require more chewing, which can slow down eating and help reduce overeating caused by eating too quickly. More chewing and slower eating may improve satiety by sending signals to the brain that prepare the digestive tract for food, and eventually signal fullness. In addition to this, the act of slowing down while eating can encourage us to sit and mindfully enjoy our meals. When we incorporate more mindful eating into our routine, it can help us tune in and notice our fullness cues. Did you know that hunger and fullness cues can be dulled from years of dieting?
Another reason that people online are promoting fibre for weight loss is that high fibre meals may decrease hunger hormones (such as ghrelin) and increase fullness hormones, such as GLP-1. By increasing fullness and satiety, high-fibre foods can help keep us satisfied and reduce the likelihood of reaching for another snack shortly after eating.
When we eat food, the presence of food in the digestive tract, and our stomach expanding to make room for food, signals to the brain to stop the secretion of hunger-stimulating hormones and increase fullness hormones. Foods with higher fibre content are bulkier and delay gastric emptying. This basically means that food stays in our digestive tract for longer and reduces our feelings of hunger. If you are relying on fibre supplements, you may not experience this stomach expansion, which is why it can be better to get fibre from food.
In addition to this, since fibre is not digested, when certain types of fibre reach the colon, they will be fermented to various degrees. This fermentation process creates short-chain fatty acids that tell our cells to produce satiety hormones, increasing our feelings of comfortable fullness.
Long story short, fibre takes longer to break down and digest, it stays in our system longer, which stimulates the release of hormones to make us feel full. It won't necessarily help with weight loss, but it may help you feel fuller for longer.
Fibre is currently trending, and it's for good reason. It supports digestive health, helps regulate blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and overall mortality. Even though fibre won't directly “burn fat,” or help with weight loss, it can help regulate appetite and keep you feeling full and satisfied after meals, which may reduce how often you’re reaching for snacks late at night.
That being said, the fibre supplement that your favourite influencer is selling is probably not going to do a whole lot, especially if it doesn't contain any psyllium.
You are much better off increasing your fibre intake by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Opting for a food-first approach allows you to get all the benefits from your foods beyond just fibre. This will help you save money as well.
If you need help increasing your fibre intake, and you live in Ontario, you can book a free call with me here. I’m happy to chat about all things fibre.
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