At the impressionable age of 17, I was captivated by a cohort of online personalities who championed veganism as the elixir of life. They swore it had revitalised their health, bestowing upon them radiant skin, impossibly long hair, and an inexhaustible supply of energy. A significant number of these influencers adhered to a dietary regimen known as “raw till four,” a philosophy that dictated a strict consumption of uncooked foods throughout the day, with a single cooked meal reserved for dinner. Their “what I eat in a day” vlogs often showcased a breakfast smoothie concocted from six bananas and a bag of spinach, followed by a lunch of nothing but mangoes and berries.
My discovery of these content creators coincided with a growing awareness of the stark ethical concerns surrounding factory farming and the significant environmental toll of animal product consumption. Embracing veganism felt like a natural, almost imperative, step. My understanding of nutrition was rudimentary, largely confined to the well-trodden advice of achieving one’s “five a day” of fruits and vegetables. Consequently, a raw vegan approach seemed like an ideal pathway to optimising my health. In an era where vegan alternatives were scarce, my diet became heavily reliant on copious amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Initially, the results were remarkable. My digestion improved dramatically, my skin took on a healthy glow, and I experienced a surge in energy levels. However, after approximately six months of this regimen, a new set of unwelcome symptoms emerged. I began to suffer from persistent bloating and found myself making frequent trips to the bathroom – an inconvenient and disruptive occurrence. I persevered, driven by my conviction in the ethical underpinnings of my dietary choices. Yet, two years into my vegan journey, the bloating escalated to severe proportions, accompanied by stomach cramps after nearly every meal. This debilitating discomfort began to impinge upon my sleep, my work, and my overall quality of life. Furthermore, I developed an acute sensitivity to alcohol and caffeine, experiencing days of vomiting after consuming a single can of coke or a couple of glasses of wine.
My general practitioner advised me to meticulously record my food intake in a diary and conducted blood tests to identify any allergies or intolerances. To my dismay, all tests returned negative. Eventually, I received a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), with the reassurance that limited treatment options were available and that IBS was a common ailment.
Despite the diagnosis, my symptoms persisted, prompting concern from my GP. I underwent a battery of scans, including an MRI, CT scan, and ultrasound, as well as a highly invasive endoscopy. These extensive investigations yielded no definitive answers. It wasn’t until I was referred to a specialist NHS dietitian – by this point, I had been vegan for about three years – that a breakthrough occurred. Upon reviewing my food diary, she delivered a surprising diagnosis: “You’re eating way too much fibre.” She revealed that my daily fibre intake was exceeding 100 grams, more than triple the NHS recommendation of 30 grams. Her astonishment at the lack of prior diagnosis was matched only by my own bewilderment; I had never conceived that consuming too much fibre was even a possibility.
The dietitian’s advice was stark: I needed to drastically reduce my fibre intake to 15 grams per day, as she suspected I had developed a sensitivity to it. She also recommended reintroducing eggs and fish into my diet. This was a difficult pill to swallow for someone who had become so passionate about the ethical imperatives of veganism. However, the profound impact of my health issues on my overall well-being left me with little choice.
The Rise of ‘Fibremaxxing’ and Its Pitfalls
Fibre, considered the fourth macronutrient alongside carbohydrates, fat, and protein, is currently experiencing a surge in popularity. The latest nutrition trend to go viral is “fibremaxxing,” a concept that, as its name suggests, advocates for a significant increase in dietary fibre consumption.
For the majority of individuals in the UK, who fall short of recommended fibre intake, this trend presents a compelling proposition. Increasing fibre consumption is widely recognised for its benefits, including improved gut health, enhanced appetite management, and better blood sugar regulation. It also plays a crucial role in mitigating the risk of long-term diseases such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
While the general advice to increase fibre intake is sound for most people, the term “fibremaxxing” immediately ignited a sense of dread within me, a direct consequence of my personal experience.
Sophie Medlin, a registered dietitian at CityDietitians, explains the physiological rationale behind my adverse reaction. “When we make a major dietary change, it’s effectively changing an ecosystem in our body – the ecosystem of our gut microbiome,” she states. “Too much fibre can overwhelm the microbial fermentation capacity.” In simpler terms, the beneficial bacteria in our gut responsible for breaking down fibre can become overloaded, leading to uncomfortable side effects like gas and bloating. “I think it’s something, with all the fibre-maxxing on social media, that we should be aware of,” Medlin cautions. “It can be very uncomfortable to drastically increase fibre quickly and it can make a lasting change positively or negatively to the gut microbiome.”
The repercussions of excessive fibre intake can be particularly pronounced for individuals already contending with digestive sensitivities. “A big part of IBS is having an excess of gut bacteria that are rapid fermentors,” Medlin elaborates, explaining how this contributes to common IBS symptoms. “Fibremaxxing potentially feeds those bacteria populations even more.”
A Slow Path to Recovery
Within weeks of modifying my diet, I was astounded by the rapid improvement in my symptoms. The agonizing bloating that had plagued my evenings disappeared. I no longer experienced stomach cramps after my morning meal. However, it took years before I could reintroduce high-fibre foods without triggering IBS symptoms. I consciously avoided beans, legumes, and meals rich in fruits and vegetables for an extended period. During this time, I also had to largely forgo caffeine and alcohol, unless I was prepared to endure days of discomfort.
Now, a decade later, my gut health has made a full recovery. I can comfortably consume fibrous foods, generally adhering to the recommended 30 grams per day, while maintaining a balanced intake of other macronutrients like protein and fat. Thankfully, my daily coffee and a weekend glass of wine no longer disrupt my digestion. I followed a pescatarian diet for many years and have since begun incorporating meat back into my meals. It has been a long and arduous journey, and I never would have imagined, in my early days of veganism, that an increased intake of bananas, chickpeas, and broccoli could have led to such significant health complications.
The Right Way to Increase Fibre
It is crucial to understand that increasing your fibre intake is not inherently detrimental. In fact, doing so gradually offers a wealth of health benefits. “It supports our gastrointestinal health, it helps us to go to the toilet properly, it supports our gut microbiome and there’s loads of data and strong clinical trials to show that it prevents cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other long-term health conditions,” explains Medlin.
The key to a healthy increase in fibre is a gradual approach, aiming for an additional 8 grams per day, while staying within recommended guidelines. “For every extra 8g of fibre we consume, we see a reduction in things like cardiovascular disease risk, some cancer disease risk, as well as a decrease in diabetes risk,” she elaborates.
“It’s important that you do it gradually, so that might be adding an extra portion of fruits and vegetables during the day, whether that’s as a snack or as part of your evening meal,” Medlin advises.
She also stresses the importance of increasing water intake concurrently with fibre. “The analogy is that if you consume too much fibre and don’t consume enough water, it’s a bit like putting too much toilet paper down the toilet without enough water to push it down – it will become blocked, and a similar thing happens in the body,” Medlin illustrates.
Medlin recommends maintaining this incremental increase of eight grams for a week or two, closely monitoring your body’s response before further increasing fibre consumption.
So, there is no need to embark on an extreme “fibremaxxing” journey. My own experience serves as a testament to the fact that a balanced, gradual approach is the most effective and sustainable path to reaping the benefits of dietary fibre.
