I posted this in the nutrition & suppliments section, but never got an answer.

Recommendations for daily intake of fiber is 25 grams.

Now, I'm doing Protein Power, so fiber doesn't count toward carb intake...but I'm just baffled as to how to get 25 grams of fiber a day!

I don't have an issue with plummage. That's not my concern. With a family history of colon cancer, I believe that the 25g recommend is not for plumming, but for cancer prevention.

Now, I usually have a LARGE salad (or 2 smaller salads) in a day...plus broccoli/green beans/cauliflower in the evenings. Plus mushrooms thrown in throughout the entire day. Also, I usualy have a slice of bread (only 6 carbs and 2 fiber).

With all that, I'm still lucky to hit double digit fiber... maybe 10 to 15 grams.

Is the general concensus that the 25g recommendation is assuming the health-results of a low fat diet, and therefore may not be applicable to those of us with low carb diets?

If not, how ON EARTH do you get 25g in? I also take a sugar-free psylium, but that's only 3 grams ... and I aint doing it more than once a day!

Thoughts?
-- Loretta

Hi Loretta,

I don't know of any studies that have been done, but I recall our Doreen saying that she believes that in the absence of starches (which can clog us up) 10 to 15g fibre a day should be plenty.

I believe, as do many others, that a low carb eating plan is the best possible way to prevent cancers of any sort. There have been some studies showing that cancers feed off sugars, so avoiding sugar is quite possibly far more useful in cancer prevention than chowing down on loads of fibre.

I do believe that the 25g is aimed at the low fat population. One day they'll all learn that low carb is a far healthier way to go!

Cheers matey.

Rosebud

I take two rounded teaspoons of psyllium fiber each day, dissolved in a large glass of water (Konsyl brand -- I buy it at CVS -- it's the only brand I've found that is pure psyllium, no sugar or artificial sweeteners). Each rounded teaspoon is 5 grans of fiber. That combined with salads, vegetables, and nuts gets me up into the 20 or 25 gram range. I need that much fiber to avoid constipation.

Loretta: I can't get my fiber up that high, either. Occasionally, if I'm a good girl and remember my psyllium *and* I'm eating all my veggies, and/or if I sneak some beans into my soup or chili, I'll push 20 g. That's about it.

We're still doing far better than most of the population. I get more fiber now than when I was a vegetarian!