The Fibre Myth
The Fibre Myth - Fibre may actually be harmful to our guts
There is absolutely no proven association between high fibre intake and reduced colorectal cancer. In fact, it may be the opposite. Fibre like whole grains or bran causes mechanical damage, inflammation and irritation as it goes through. This creates a tsunami of fermentation by your gut microbes and lots of gas and bloating which can be harmful over time. Many vegetables can also create bloating such as the broccoli, kale, cabbage or even avocado. Even the ADA warns against consuming more than 25 grams of fibre a day. And the most shocking truth is that fibre may cause constipation and not relieve it as demonstrated in the study where patients with severe constipation were put into three groups. One group had a high fibre intake. The second a medium intake and the third no fibre. Forty-one patients who completely stopped fibber intake had their bowel frequency increased. All of those on a high fibre diet continued to be symptomatic like bloating and constipation, none of the no fibre group had symptoms. Symptoms of abdominal pain only improved in patients who stopped fibre completely while those who continued on a high fibre diet or reduced fibre diet did not show any improvement In addition, those on a no dietary fibre diet no longer had symptoms of anal bleeding. Their conclusion was that the previous strongly-held belief that the application of dietary fibre to help constipation is but a myth.
