![]() For decades, fiber has been extolled as a vital component of a healthy diet. Doctors, dietitians, the food industry, and government have prominently touted a high-fiber diet as essential for preventing or relieving digestive disorders, including IBS-C (constipation-predominant IBS) and idiopathic constipation (constipation with no apparent cause). However, most of these health claims aren't supported by scientific research. In fact, a number of studies have demonstrated that an excess of dietary fiber may actually be harmful for gut health and may exacerbate the symptoms of IBS, specifically bloating, gas, pain, straining, and constipation. One invaluable study looked at whether idiopathic constipation and its associated symptoms can be effectively reduced by stopping or reducing the intake of dietary fiber. The researchers wanted to explore whether common beliefs about the use of fiber in reducing constipation were valid. What they found was that the subjects who followed a low-fiber diet for six months experienced more-frequent bowel movements! The results of decreasing fiber intake were statistically significant, not only in terms of increasing the frequency of bowel movements, but also in terms of decreasing other symptoms associated with constipation, such as bloating and straining. The patients who completely stopped consuming dietary fiber no longer suffered from bloating and abdominal pain. That's because these symptoms are caused by the fermentation of dietary fiber by bacteria in the colon, a process that produces hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane gases that get trapped in the colon and exert pressure on its walls. The researchers also found that decreasing the bulk and volume of feces immediately enables easier evacuation of smaller, thinner stools, eliminating straining, bleeding, and tearing of the anal sphincter caused by larger and more bulky fecal loads. To better understand why this approach works so well, it's important to explore the myths about what poop is actually composed of. While most people think of feces as simply the used-up remains of the food we eat — the stuff that makes it through after digestion — the fact is that 50 to 80 percent of poop (excluding water) is bacteria that lives in the intestines and is ejected as food passed through. Poop also includes some indigestible plant matter — such as the cellulose in vegetables — but the exact amount depends on each individual's diet. Poop also contains small amounts of our own tissue: cells from the lining of the intestines that are sloughed off during digestion. And, of course, it contains some water. Poop is brown because of a chemical called stercobilin, which is a by-product of the hemoglobin in broken-down red blood cells. It also comes from bile, the fluid secreted into the intestines to help digest fat. If poop is another color, it can be a sign of other conditions. For instance, yellow stool can be the result of a parasitic infection or pancreatic cancer. Black or dark-red stools can indicate bleeding in the upper GI tract (or that you recently ate beets). Green feces can be the sign of an infection. White or pale-gray poop can be an indication of liver disease or clogged bile ducts. IBS-C and idiopathic constipation aren't caused by a lack of poop. They happen because the poop in the rectum isn't moving through the colon and on to the anal sphincter, the very narrow passageway that marks the end of the colon. If you eat a lot of fiber or take fiber supplements, you're bulking up the stool. While the pervading belief is that fiber, especially insoluble fiber, makes stool fluffy and easier to pass, what it actually does is make stool bigger. What do you think is easier to pass through a small opening: something small and thin or something big and bulky? If we try to pass a large stool through a small hole, it causes pain, straining, hemorrhoids, and bleeding. So the logical solution isn't bigger poops but smaller ones! Now you may think that fiber makes stools more moist so they can more easily "slide" through the anal opening. That also isn't true. How much moisture stool absorbs is an involuntary physiological function, similar to how our body temperature is set. In general, stool is typically 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. Because fiber is the indigestible part of plants, it passes through us, creating more solid matter in the stool rather than water. This stool then gets stuck at the anal sphincter because it's too large to pass through it. As it sits there, it loses moisture and becomes hard and dry and extremely difficult to pass. If it sits too long and additional stool piles up behind it, it could eventually cause an impaction. Although we often hear that we should poop one to three times a day, for many people, pooping three times a week is perfectly normal. As long as the stool passes smoothly and without straining, the quantity or size of the stool and the frequency you go (as long as it's no fewer than three times a week) isn't cause for alarm. With a low-fiber diet, the size of your stool might be smaller and thinner, but that makes it easier and more comfortable to pass. It should be soft as well. When you follow a low-fiber diet, you might find that you move your bowels more or less often than you do with a high-fiber diet, and this new bathroom schedule may take a little getting used to. For many people with digestive disorders (including inflammatory bowel disease), a low-fiber diet is recommended during flare-ups. It gives the digestive tract a welcome break and time to heal. After a few weeks, you can try adding a little more fiber (preferably mostly soluble fiber) back into your diet until you determine how much you can tolerate. If you're concerned that your constipation will increase when you lower your fiber intake, remember that babies drink mother's milk and strained, pureed foods -- neither of which have fiber -- and they have no trouble pooping. Also bear in mind that people who go on juice fasts (juice contains no fiber) or water fasts don't get constipated. Is it possible to follow a low-fiber vegan diet that's nutritionally sound? Yes, it is. I plan to post more about this in a future installment for those who would like to give a low-fiber diet a try. *****
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9 Comments
Matthew
4/6/2019 08:34:33 am
Great read, thank you!
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Jo Stepaniak
1/28/2020 09:04:33 am
You are very welcome!
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Linda Beirne
4/21/2021 04:23:06 am
I completely agree with you Jo, I found that eating to much fibre, specifically bran in cereals, chickpeas, beans or lentils produced excruciating stomach pains and cramps. I think that everyone has to find their own triggers and adapt their diet accordingly.
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Jo Stepaniak
4/21/2021 07:30:52 am
You're very welcome, Linda. Thank you for taking the time to comment on this issue!
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Vikki
11/2/2021 04:10:49 pm
Great article that has got me thinking. I’m currently WFPB and have been led to believe that increased fibre is better for gut microbiome. Though about 2 years after going WFPB I developed IBS so something isn’t right! What are your thoughts about low fibre and dysbiosis?
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Jo Stepaniak
11/3/2021 04:18:18 pm
Thanks, Vikki! I can't really speak to the issue of dysbiosis, as that's outside my area of expertise. That said, every person and every person's microbiome is unique. If you are having digestive and/or elimination issues or have been diagnosed with IBS, the dietary protocol for your conditions may differ greatly from someone without these challenges. We're still in the discovery phase when it comes to the microbiome. Although many theories abound and may be presented as "truth" or "fact," especially in the vegan community, this is a complex topic with endless variables and there currently is no single right answer or path for everybody or every body.
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Anne
7/5/2022 08:16:59 am
Hi Jo, thanks so much for this article - it helps a lot and gives me some hope. And I really want to give it a try. I've been a vegan with IBS Constipation and it's really painful to experience the bloating/pain without understanding the reason. As most of what i eat is vegetables and almost no junk foods. I think every body is different so it must be some reasons why high fiber diet might not work with my body.
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Jo Stepaniak
7/6/2022 02:45:10 pm
I agree with you, Anne. Every body is indeed unique, and what works for some bodies may not work for others. For most of us with IBS, experimenting with food has become a way of life, and when we find foods that agree with us, it's cause for celebration. :)
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