Fiber Maxing Is Everywhere! Here's What It's Actually Doing to Your Gut
Mark Hyman, MD looks at the fiber maxing trend, explaining what fiber does in the body, who benefits from eating more, who should be careful, and how to increase it without upsetting your gut.
The gist
-
Hyman says most Americans get about half the fiber they need, and fiber feeds gut bacteria that make butyrate, which he says calms inflammation.
-
He says people with IBS, SIBO or active gut inflammation should heal the gut first, since fermentable fiber can worsen bloating short term.
-
Hyman recommends adding about 5 grams of fiber a week, drinking plenty of water, and pairing every fiber-heavy meal with protein.
-
He favors whole foods like chia seeds, flaxseeds, lentils and berries, saying 30 grams of varied fiber beats 60 grams from one supplement.
-
Hyman says fiber boosts natural GLP-1 and binds excess estrogen, flaxseeds especially, but cannot make up for poor sleep, stress or low protein.
Mark Hyman, MD recommends it
"The best fiber comes packaged with nutrients, phytonutrients and minerals, like lentils, beans if you can tolerate them, chia seeds, flax seeds, artichokes, berries, veggies of all kind."
▶ Play at 13:57
Mark Hyman, MD recommends it
"Pro tip, flaxseeds are particularly good at this — binding excess estrogen in the gut."
▶ Play at 17:08What they recommend · 2 picks
"The best fiber comes packaged with nutrients, phytonutrients and minerals, like lentils, beans if you can tolerate them, chia seeds, flax seeds, artichokes, berries, veggies of ..."
"Pro tip, flaxseeds are particularly good at this — binding excess estrogen in the gut."
Mark, Joe, Andrew and Rhonda agree on 39 things
See what they all use, in their own words. Paid ads are left out.
See what they all swear by Or pick your own peopleAlso mentioned
Ads in this episode
Function Health. They're paid, so we keep them out of the picks above.
See what Mark Hyman, MD recommends without being paid →Related episodes
Episodes covering similar topics
More from Mark Hyman, MD