My dietician recommended increasing my intake of fibre to lose weight. But, I recently read somewhere that excessive intake of fibre can cause constipation. Is it true? If yes, then what is the recommended daily dose of fibre and how to know about foods rich in fibre and low in fibre? Also, please tell how much is too much?
The query is answered by Dr Swati Dave, a nutritionist and dietician, Ahmedabad.
If you are planning to lose weight, increasing fibre intake is the first line of action that most nutritionists recommend. However, it also forms the first line of defence in case of constipation as well. But if taken in excess, it too can cause severe health complications like constipation. Hence, it is important to fulfil your daily recommended dosage of fibre to reap its health benefits. For effective weight loss results, it is important to balance the intake of fibre with carbohydrates and proteins as carbohydrates aid the absorption of fibre, which is commonly present in proteins. The daily recommended dosage (RDA) of fibre is 16 gms. Here is a 7-day fiber-rich vegetarian diet plan.
Food sources of fibre
Foods that provide 3 gm of fibre per 100g or 1.5 g per 100 Kcal or 10% of daily reference value are considered to be sources of fibre. However, those that give you 6g per 100g or 3g per 100 Kcal or 20 % of daily reference value per serving are known to be fibre-rich foods. Examples of high fibre foods include all bran cereals, lentils, flax seed, chickpeas, dried figs, kidney beans, green peas, spinach and pears. Examples of foods that contain 2-4 gms of fibre per serving include soybeans, carrots, wheat germ, apples, popcorn, almonds, strawberries, oranges, broccoli and corn.
Table: Fibre content of common foods. (Source: Nutritive value of Indian foods, NIN)
| Cereals | Fibre in g/100g edible portion |
| Rice | 0.2 |
| Wheat | 1.2 |
| Bajra | 1.2 |
| Maize | 2.7 |
| Jowar | 1.6 |
| Ragi | 3.6 |
| Bengal gram, whole | 3.9 |
| Green gram, whole | 4.1 |
| Carrot | 4.4 |
| Cauliflower | 1.2 |
| Lotus stem, dry | 25.0 |
| Guava | 5.2 |
| Dates fresh | 3.7 |
How much is too much?
Based on your energy intake, a level of about 40g of fiber/2000 Kcal in a diet is considered reasonably safe by Indian Council for Medical Research. If your dietary intake of fibre exceeds 60 g over a day, it can reduce the absorption of nutrients and may cause irritation in the bowel, apart from diarrhoea. Although it is suggested that excessive intake of fibre lowers your risk of certain diseases, introducing too much fibre in your diet or eating too quickly might put you at risk of constipation or diarrhoea in some cases. Hence, it is important to introduce fibre into your diet gradually and ensure that you drink adequate amount of fluids to prevent any health complications. You may also like to read 4 ways fibre in your diet can prevent colon cancer.
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