Soluble fiber, or fiber that is able to absorb water in the gut, can be an important part of your cholesterol-friendly diet. Because this type of fiber becomes gel-like as it moves through your digestive tract, it is able to removecholesterol, a waxy substance, found in the intestines.While it is possible to consume too much fiber, only 5% of Americans eat the recommended amount.nito100 / Getty ImagesThis article explains if it’s possible toconsume too much fiber, as well as the recommended amount for a cholesterol-friendly diet. It also covers how to overcome any side effects when adding more fiber to your diet.How Much Fiber Should I Have?The American Heart Association recommends an average of 28 grams of fiber a day. However, daily fiber needs can vary from person to person.Fiber can be found in vegetables, fruits,legumes, nuts, and whole grains. It can also be consumed asfiber supplementsthat are typically mixed into water. Because most people do not eat the recommended amount of fiber, many food manufacturers also make snacks with added fiber.Eating too much fiber, or quickly going from a low-fiber diet to onehigh in fibercan lead to uncomfortable side effects such as:GasBloatingCrampsStomach painanddiarrheaIn rare instances, anintestinal blockagemay occur if you eat an excessive amount of fiber.The majority of Americans do not consume enough daily fiber. Speak with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian about how much daily fiber you need.How Can I Overcome the Side Effects of Fiber?Including fiber-rich foods in your heart-healthy diet can help keep your cholesterol levels within a healthy range. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid uncomfortable side effects so you can still get the full benefits of fiber:Slowlyincrease your consumption of fiber over a period of a few weeks. This can be especially important in preventing certain side effects, such as gas, stomach discomfort, and diarrhea.Drink plenty of water and other liquids if you are consuming a lot of high-fiber foods. This may help preventconstipationyou may experience when first starting a high-fiber diet.Get your fiber from a variety of sources and not just a supplement. By adding different high-fiber foods to your diet, you are also getting additional nutrients that you would not obtain from taking a fiber supplement.If youtake medications, you should check to see if your fiber supplement could interact with them. In some cases, a fiber supplement may decrease the effectiveness of some drugs.17 Ways to Relieve Stomach Gas FastSummaryFiber is an important part of a cholesterol-friendly diet. While it is possible to eat too much fiber, most Americans don’t come close to consuming the recommended amount.Eating too much fiber or quickly going from a low-fiber diet to a high-fiber diet can lead to uncomfortable side effects. Be sure to add fiber gradually and from a variety of sources, and drink plenty of water.Frequently Asked QuestionsNo. A diet high in fiber is associated with lower levels of cholesterol, as well as other health benefits.Learn MoreThe 4 Best Fiber Supplements, According to a DietitianEating too much fiber or increasing your daily fiber intake too quickly can lead to gas and bloating.Learn MoreDigestion Relief for Symptoms of Too Much FiberConsuming about 25 grams of fiber a day is associated with lower levels of cholesterol.Learn MoreWhat Are Normal Cholesterol Levels?
Soluble fiber, or fiber that is able to absorb water in the gut, can be an important part of your cholesterol-friendly diet. Because this type of fiber becomes gel-like as it moves through your digestive tract, it is able to removecholesterol, a waxy substance, found in the intestines.While it is possible to consume too much fiber, only 5% of Americans eat the recommended amount.
nito100 / Getty Images
This article explains if it’s possible toconsume too much fiber, as well as the recommended amount for a cholesterol-friendly diet. It also covers how to overcome any side effects when adding more fiber to your diet.
How Much Fiber Should I Have?
The American Heart Association recommends an average of 28 grams of fiber a day. However, daily fiber needs can vary from person to person.
Fiber can be found in vegetables, fruits,legumes, nuts, and whole grains. It can also be consumed asfiber supplementsthat are typically mixed into water. Because most people do not eat the recommended amount of fiber, many food manufacturers also make snacks with added fiber.
Eating too much fiber, or quickly going from a low-fiber diet to onehigh in fibercan lead to uncomfortable side effects such as:
In rare instances, anintestinal blockagemay occur if you eat an excessive amount of fiber.
The majority of Americans do not consume enough daily fiber. Speak with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian about how much daily fiber you need.
How Can I Overcome the Side Effects of Fiber?
Including fiber-rich foods in your heart-healthy diet can help keep your cholesterol levels within a healthy range. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid uncomfortable side effects so you can still get the full benefits of fiber:
If youtake medications, you should check to see if your fiber supplement could interact with them. In some cases, a fiber supplement may decrease the effectiveness of some drugs.
17 Ways to Relieve Stomach Gas Fast
Summary
Fiber is an important part of a cholesterol-friendly diet. While it is possible to eat too much fiber, most Americans don’t come close to consuming the recommended amount.
Eating too much fiber or quickly going from a low-fiber diet to a high-fiber diet can lead to uncomfortable side effects. Be sure to add fiber gradually and from a variety of sources, and drink plenty of water.
Frequently Asked QuestionsNo. A diet high in fiber is associated with lower levels of cholesterol, as well as other health benefits.Learn MoreThe 4 Best Fiber Supplements, According to a DietitianEating too much fiber or increasing your daily fiber intake too quickly can lead to gas and bloating.Learn MoreDigestion Relief for Symptoms of Too Much FiberConsuming about 25 grams of fiber a day is associated with lower levels of cholesterol.Learn MoreWhat Are Normal Cholesterol Levels?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A diet high in fiber is associated with lower levels of cholesterol, as well as other health benefits.Learn MoreThe 4 Best Fiber Supplements, According to a Dietitian
No. A diet high in fiber is associated with lower levels of cholesterol, as well as other health benefits.
Learn MoreThe 4 Best Fiber Supplements, According to a Dietitian
Eating too much fiber or increasing your daily fiber intake too quickly can lead to gas and bloating.Learn MoreDigestion Relief for Symptoms of Too Much Fiber
Eating too much fiber or increasing your daily fiber intake too quickly can lead to gas and bloating.
Learn MoreDigestion Relief for Symptoms of Too Much Fiber
Consuming about 25 grams of fiber a day is associated with lower levels of cholesterol.Learn MoreWhat Are Normal Cholesterol Levels?
Consuming about 25 grams of fiber a day is associated with lower levels of cholesterol.
Learn MoreWhat Are Normal Cholesterol Levels?
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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American Heart Association.Sound the fiber alarm! Most of us need more of it in our diet.
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News in Health; National Institutes of Health.Rough up your diet.
Ho KS, Tan CYM, Mohd Daud MA, Seow-Choen F.Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms.World J Gastroenterol. 2012;18(33):4593-4596. doi:10.3748/wjg.v18.i33.4593
Hassan D.Get your fiber without the flatulance. Michigan State University. Published online December 11, 2017.
Dipiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, Matzke GR, Wells BG, Posey LM.Pharmacotherapy: A pathophysiologic approach, ed. Connecticut: Appleton and Lange. 2014;4:141-142.
Harvard Health Publishing.Fiber-full eating for better health and lower cholesterol.
Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, Winter N, Mete E, Te Morenga L.Carbohydrate quality and human health: A series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.The Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434-445. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9
Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al.2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the management of blood cholesterol.Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2019;73(24):e285-e350. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.003Whitney EN, Rolfes SR.Understanding Nutrition. 14th ed. Cengage Learning; 2016.
Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al.2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the management of blood cholesterol.Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2019;73(24):e285-e350. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.003
Whitney EN, Rolfes SR.Understanding Nutrition. 14th ed. Cengage Learning; 2016.
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