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Comment by jimkri | Hacker News Reader

Super interesting to read! I have noticed a huge benefit from just adding Metamucil to my diet. The following lines from the article really resonate.

>Insoluble fibers have fecal-bulking characteristics that may promote regular bowel movements and avoid constipation.

>"Specifically, soluble fiber binds to bile acids in the intestine"

I have started to take Metamucil more frequently because I was taking an algae supplement, Spirulina & Chlorella, and it was moving through me so fast because I noticed I had no bulk from a low fiber diet. It made a huge improvement in bulking and slowed my bowel movements.

I also noticed before adding the fiber that I just would feel acidic, rude, or short-tempered in a different way, and my stomach was really acidic. Adding the fiber really did help, and it's cool to see articles and research backing it up.

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I kind of wonder what the best form of added fiber should be.

The thing about metamucil is that it has either added sugar or artificial sweeteners. the main ingredient is psyllium husk.

I like benefiber better - no taste, just sprinkle on food. But I don't know how wheat dextrin compares to psyllium husk (or other fibers)

A nurse I talked to takes psyllium husk by itself, and I wonder if that is better than metamucil.

The 3-in-1 capsules are no sugar, just 2 ingredients: psyllium husk, gelatin. Swallow w/ water, taste is not a factor.

Why not just start eating foods with more fiber in them?

I had chronic digestive issues which almost completely disappeared after taking Metamucil.

Then, about a year later changed my diet and started tracking macros. Was able to stop taking Metamucil after balancing them properly.

I’d consider Metamucil a bandaid, it is easier to supplement than rehaul your entire diet. But the latter is better in the long run for sure.

> started tracking macros

what does that mean?

I'm not the original commenter, but it stands for macronutrients. The breakdown of the daily intake of food by understanding the protein, carbs, fats, and fiber.

Benefiber is wheat dextrin. It doesn’t have most of the properties that you want from a fiber supplement. It gets digested by gut microbes so it doesn’t provide bulk. It doesn’t gel so it doesn’t help with cholesterol or blood sugar.

Near as I can tell Benefiber is basically a placebo. People feel good for adding “fiber” to their diet but it has none of the effects of psyllium husk or oat fiber.

Psyllium husk by itself (power, not capsules) is utterly disgusting by the way. Tastes like dirt. You can hide it in protein shakes or similar but I personally struggle to get it down with just water.

hmm... searching I find:

“Gel-forming psyllium is good for both softening hard stools and firming up loose stools. It is effective in preventing or relieving constipation. Research shows viscous fibers like psyllium or the fiber in oats can have some impact on improving blood sugar control and lowering blood cholesterol levels."

“Fermentable wheat dextrin does not form a gel with liquid, so it is not helpful for constipation or diarrhea. Nor can it help lower cholesterol or control blood sugar. It does, however, serve as a prebiotic, providing nourishment to the gut microbiota. When microbiota ferment fiber, they release gas, so wheat dextrin may cause bloating and flatulence."

https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/gi-health/psyllium-vs-...

Right. So it doesn’t do any of the things generally associated with fiber, except giving you gas.

This is a really good callout. I think trying different types helps to see what works best for you and to fit into your lifestyle.

I also have plain psyllium husk, and I avoided it because I liked the sugar of the Metamucil. But I have been focusing on lowering my sugar, so I'm switching to the plain psyllium husk, and it's just as easy to drink; it was really a little mental game of how it would taste, haha.

I kind of wonder what the best form of added fiber should be.

There are plenty of foods rich in fiber that you don't need to consider supplements. The article itself mentions - Foods high in soluble fiber including avocados, whole grains, chickpeas, apples, lentils, broccoli, brussels sprouts, certain seeds, and artichokes. Most fruits and vegetables also have varying amount of fiber, as does some variety of rice, millets and wheat (that are common in some Asian diets). See https://www.cancer.org/cancer/survivorship/coping/nutrition/... for more.

Have you ever actually compared the amount of fiber foods actually have?

I've tried it and it is hard.

Let's say you need 38g of fiber per day and you need to make up half of it.

You could eat 6 cups of brussel sprouts, or sprinkle 6 packets of benefiber on your food as you eat throughout the day.

Also, a lot of natural fiber in quantity has some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects.

I'm not saying it is impossible, but it can be quite challenging to get all your fiber from natural sources in our society.

I don't obsess so much about food now a days because apparently that's also a slippery slope that can develop to an eating disorder ( orthorexia - see https://www.bu.edu/articles/2013/when-healthy-eating-becomes... ). I however do understand your concern and I think one of the reason why we may be having a difference of opinion on this is because of culture - as an indian, my diet is quite different from a western one, and some of you may indeed require to change your diet to incorporate more fibre rich food or even supplements. My mode of monitoring my fibre intake is to just observe my poop - if it's too hard, there's too much fibre in the diet, and if it's too soft, there's less fibre. Eating a balanced diet, maintaining my weight, exercising, and adjusting my diet as per my annual health check-up is the routine I've adopted now (e.g., I've added chicken liver to my diet this year on the advise of my doctor because some vitamin level was borderline).

I think hard = not enough fiber and/or fluids.

I think you're right about diet. When I asked my first doctor about diet - what should I eat and not eat, he told me something counter-intuitive. He said "it changes back and forth every year, but one thing is agreed upon - eat a variety of foods".

A lot of my indian colleagues behave quite differently from the general population. They frequently cook at home and/or for themselves and bring the food in, and they generally use whole/individual ingredients. I've also heard that indians don't get alzheimers because of turmeric.

That said, as people age or become more sedentary I think proper fiber becomes very important.

inulin? beneficial if your gut microbiome is functioning well. There have been some recent studies that found dietary fiber is protective of the liver as well by preventing fructose fat deposits from building up. It also doesn't taste too bad. A tiny little bit of something semi-sweet.

I avoided Metamucil for a long time, because "only old people use that."

Contempt without prior investigation and denial of my mortality is the true reason.

But once I started taking it I was sorely disappointed in myself that I did not start at least 10 years sooner.

Perhaps un-branded supplemental fiber is unburdened by the old people connotation? I probably still would have resisted.

I thought the same thing! My mom used it when I was younger, and I always passed on trying it because of that random memory and association.

I just got past the Metamucil to plain psyllium husk. I felt the plain version was going to taste bad, but it was just plain and not sugary. It's funny the concepts that can lead to certain small behaviors.

I've tried various fiber supplements, mostly for avoiding constipation, but what I found really worked is bran flakes.

Did you have heartburn? I’m curious if adding Metamucil would help with that after hearing you feel less acidic.

I think it can help for some. You have to be careful which brands, CR did tests for lead. yerba prima organic was the best

I do, and when I actively and consistently take Metamucil or a psyllium husk, it has helped. I recently stopped because I ran out and forgot to buy more, and I have noticed the heartburn again.

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