What some fitness fanatics might view as a health benefit others might view as a potential pitfall. Fibre can promote digestive regularity and aid in weight management. However, there are only so many benefits to keep a balanced diet or meal while maximising your dietary fibre intake.
Looking to add a little spice to better your gut health, fibremaxxing is a new wellness TikTok trend. Dating back to the 1900s, it was known as volumetrics and made popular by world-renowned food scientist Barbara Rolls. It challenged people to eat large volumes of food, loading meals with foods that are fibre-rich such as cabbage, salads, celery sticks, fruit smoothies and air-popped popcorn for weight loss.
According to studies by Woman's World, fibre has several health benefits, including curbing stress eating. Fibre helps regulate hormones and boosts mood, making people less likely to stress eat. It promotes healthy digestion by keeping waste moving. As a result, the body doesn't retain bloating or waste that can give the appearance of weight gain.
It also works like an all-natural Ozempic. When gut microbes are fed fibre meals, they help release hormones such as glucagon peptide 1, the hormone popular weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide are based on and which tell us we don't need to eat yet.
While you intentionally increase your daily fibre intake, it's important to know too much of a good thing can cause more harm than help. Bloating and gas are some of the common effects fibremaxxing has on the body.
Fibre fermentation in the gut causes a build-up of gas, leading to a bloated, uncomfortable belly. It causes constipation and diarrhoea as fibre's job is to bulk out your stool, but if you increase it too quickly or without enough water, it can backfire, making you more constipated or sending you running to the loo. The pains and cramps caused by insoluble fibre, relieving constipation and regulating digestion, from whole grains, skins and seeds can irritate your gut lining and trigger spasms.
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