After years of protein getting all the attention, fibre is finally having its moment. Fibermaxxing, deliberately building your meals around fibre, has taken off on social media. Unlike most nutrition trends, the core idea is sound. The trick is doing it in a way your gut will thank you for.
What is fibermaxxing?
Fibermaxxing means making fibre a priority: choosing wholegrains, beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds so that you reach, or get close to, the recommended daily amount. Despite the name, the goal is not to eat as much fibre as humanly possible. It is to hit a target that most people currently miss by a long way.
How much fibre do you need?
The NHS recommends that adults eat 30 g of fibre a day. The average adult in the UK eats only about 20 g, so most of us have a sizeable gap to close.
30 g
daily fibre recommended for UK adults
~20 g
what the average UK adult actually eats
25-29 g
daily intake where most of the benefit appeared in the research
Why fibre matters
A major series of reviews commissioned by the World Health Organization compared people who ate the most fibre with those who ate the least. The highest fibre eaters had 15-30% lower rates of death from any cause and from cardiovascular disease, and of coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. The biggest reductions were seen at 25-29 g a day, and the data suggested that eating more still could bring further benefits.
These are observational findings, but they line up with the NHS view: plenty of fibre is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, and it helps prevent constipation. Fibre also feeds your gut bacteria. Our gut health guide explains why that matters.
Fibre and appetite: the GLP-1 angle
Part of the hype comes from claims that fibre is "nature's Ozempic". There is a grain of truth in it. When gut bacteria ferment fibre, they produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids. In one study, delivering one of these, propionate, directly to the colon increased the release of the fullness hormones PYY and GLP-1 after a meal and reduced how much people ate. Over 24 weeks, it also reduced weight gain.
But that study used a specially designed supplement, not ordinary food, so do not expect a bowl of lentils to work like a weight-loss injection. The practical benefit is simpler: high-fibre foods like vegetables, beans and wholegrains add bulk to your meals, which can make a calorie deficit easier to live with.
The easiest ways to eat more fibre
You do not need special foods. A few swaps, taken from NHS advice, make a big difference:
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| White bread | Wholemeal or granary bread |
| White pasta and rice | Wholewheat pasta, brown rice or bulgur wheat |
| Sugary breakfast cereal | Porridge or a higher-fibre wholegrain cereal |
| Peeled potatoes | Potatoes with the skins on |
| Meat-only stews and curries | Add beans, lentils or chickpeas |
| Crisps and biscuits | Fruit, vegetable sticks, oatcakes or unsalted nuts and seeds |
When you are shopping, check the label: the NHS says foods with 6 g or more of fibre per 100 g count as high fibre. And mix it up, because getting fibre from a variety of sources is part of the NHS advice too.
How to fibermaxx without the bloating
The most common mistake is doubling your fibre overnight. Your gut needs time to adjust, and a sudden jump is a recipe for wind and bloating. NHS hospital advice is to increase fibre gradually, and notes that the benefits can take up to four weeks to show.
Make one change a week
Start with breakfast, for example switching to porridge, then add another swap the following week.Drink more as you add fibre
Aim for at least 1.5 to 3 litres of fluid a day, and more if you are bigger or sweat a lot. Fibre works best when you are well hydrated.Spread it across the day
Fibre at every meal is easier on your gut than one giant high-fibre dinner.Track it for a couple of weeks
The free BarbellBites app shows your fibre next to your calories and protein, so you can see how close you are to 30 g.
Do you need to go far beyond 30 g? The research suggests more may bring extra benefit, so there is no harm in aiming a little higher once your gut has adjusted. But there is no prize for chasing extreme numbers, and huge jumps mostly bring discomfort.
If you have IBS or another gut condition
More fibre is not right for everyone. The NHS advice for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) depends on your symptoms:
- Bloating, cramps and wind: eat oats regularly, have up to a tablespoon of linseeds a day and avoid foods that are hard to digest, such as cabbage, beans and onions.
- Diarrhoea: cut down on high-fibre foods like wholegrains, nuts and seeds.
- Constipation: increase soluble fibre, from foods like oats, pulses, carrots, peeled potatoes and linseeds, and drink plenty of water.
Fibre for lifters: pair it with protein
Fibermaxxing and high protein work well together. Beans, lentils and chickpeas give you both, which is why they feature so heavily in our guide to the cheapest high-protein foods in UK supermarkets. Build each meal around a protein and a high-fibre carb or vegetable and you will cover both targets.
One practical tip: if a big high-fibre meal sits heavily, have it a few hours before training rather than right before.
FAQs
How much fibre should I eat a day?
Is fibermaxxing good for weight loss?
Why do I feel bloated when I eat more fibre?
Do I need a fibre supplement?
Sources
- 1.NHS. How to get more fibre into your diet.
- 2.Reynolds A, et al. (2019). Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet.
- 3.Chambers ES, et al. (2015). Effects of targeted delivery of propionate to the human colon on appetite regulation, body weight maintenance and adiposity in overweight adults. Gut.
- 4.Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Improving bowel function in constipation.
- 5.NHS. Diet, lifestyle and medicines for IBS.