Those of us immersed in the world of fitness and nutrition are well acquainted with certain concepts. We think of certain things as “good, good good” and it’s easy to forget that there is in fact a point where too much of a good thing has a negative effect.
I’ve looked a lot into this, starting with realizing I was overdosing on vitamins by eating a healthy diet + fortified cereals and bars + certain supplements. Over the last year, I’ve learned that this concept of an “upper limit,” where instead of reaping positive gains you get a negative effect, applies to much more than vitamins. Here’s a summary pertaining to a few things we fitness freaks can easily get a little over obsessed with: fiber, calcium, protein, and even exercise.
Today we’ll start with Fiber:
FiberWe see all the healthy foods promoting their high fiber content. We see health ads promoting a high fiber diet. What we don’t realize is that the average American eats <20g of fiber a day. That’s less than a couple whole grains and you minimum fruits and veggies, maybe some nuts and beans. It’s less than a serving or two of the high fiber cereals, bars, and breads we nutrition freaks tend to consume. Combine a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and veggies, almost all grains being whole, some potatoes, nuts, beans, PLUS high fiber cereals and bars and you end up in an opposite extreme.
And yes, you can have too much fiber.
Consuming a daily average >50g of fiber on a daily basis can have several negative consequences:
Constipation:
Believe it or not, at a certain point eating too much fiber has and opposite effect. Instead of moving things along, it actually backs you up.
Gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort:
The label of this effect speaks for itself. All that fiber working it’s way through [or getting stuck in] your system gasses you up, causing bloating and abdominal discomfort—not to mention the farting!
Decreased nutrient and minieral absorption:
The fiber itself isn’t the only thing that passes through your system without being digested and absorbed. Iron is an especially important mineral for the active person [or anyone who doesn’t want to feel sluggish all day!] that’s absorption is hindered by a diet too high in fiber. This is because it is typically absorbed early in the digestion process, where too much fiber hinders that process. Insoluble fiber also tends to bond to calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, preventing you from reaping the benefits of consuming foods rich in these minerals.
Amenorrhea:While typically not the sole cause, high fiber + low fat diets are a contributing factor to this condition. And while losing your period may sound convenient, the consequences can put a permanent end to your active life. Even birth control induced periods do not send the same signals to get your body to absorb calcium and keep you from ostepenia and osteoperosis—conditions that result in constant fractures, and bones crushing down until you’re a hobbling hunchback at <30 years old.
