Fiber Supplements, yes or no?

Natural sources of fiber from whole foods are always going to be your best bet for fiber intake. When you eat that hummus or kiwi fruit, along with fiber and gut friendly prebiotics, that whole food source of fiber also gives you phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and the much needed water to keep your system moving.

However, when you take into consideration that only about five percent of men are and ten percent of women are regularly consuming the recommended daily amount of fiber (respectively 38 and 25 grams), then the argument for fiber supplementation becomes a bit more compelling.

There are hundreds of fiber supplement options on the market today in the form of gummies, powder, or pills with many different types of fiber options like inulin, psyllium, sunfiber, wheat dextrin, metylcellulose, larch, acacia, apple peel and pectin, and chia seeds.

Here are some things to think about with fiber supplements:

• Find a supplement free of artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners.

• Go for a prebiotic fiber option if available

• Don’t supplement more than one quarter of your daily fiber intake, you should be using the supplement to bridge the gap, not replace your natural intake of fiber rich foods.

• Start slow and increase your intake gradually to minimize uncomfortable side effects

• Make sure you are consuming an additional 8-12 ounces of water with your supplement to keep the extra fiber intake from leading to dehydration and constipation.

• Take your fiber supplement away from other medications to minimize drug interactions with the fiber.