What Is Fibremaxxing? The Fibre Trend Explained By Our Experts

If you keep up with digital health trends, you've probably heard of 'fibremaxxing'. This latest social media craze is centred around increasing your daily fibre intake, which has many long-term health benefits. But how does it work? And what does the science say? Our experts weigh in.

Article Summary:

• Fibremaxxing is meeting or surpassing the daily recommended intake of fibre.
• Getting enough fibre in your diet can help promote gut health, regulate your blood sugar, lower cholesterol and lower your risk of both cancer and heart disease.
• We recommend aiming to eat 30g of fibre every day, from a range of sources including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

What is fibremaxxing?

If you take away the viral name, fibremaxxing refers to simply meeting or surpassing your daily recommended intake of dietary fibre. The NHS recommends you should eat 30g of fibre every day as part of a healthy, balanced diet, but most adults in the UK only eat 20g on average. [1]

This trend encourages people to prioritise fibre-rich foods in their meals and supplement with fibre powders to hit their daily nutrient goals.

What is dietary fibre?

Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods. Unlike other nutrients, like protein, fats and sugars, your body doesn't absorb fibre. This is because your digestive enzymes can't break it down. Instead, fibre moves through your stomach, small intestine and colon mostly intact, before passing out of your body.

There are two main types of fibre. Most fibre-rich foods contain both, but the amount of each varies.

Soluble fibre

Soluble fibre dissolves in water, forming a gel-like consistency in your stomach. This helps slow digestion and soften your poo, which supports regular bowel movements. Foods rich in soluble fibre include: oats, beans, lentils, peas, apples, avocados and bananas. You can also increase your soluble fibre intake with fibre supplements such as glucomannan powder and psyllium husk.

Insoluble fibre

Insoluble fibre, on the other hand, doesn't dissolve in water. It moves through your body undigested, adding bulk to your poo and reducing constipation. You can find insoluble fibre in wholegrain foods, like seeded breads, wholewheat pasta, rice, and cereals. Nuts, seeds and the skins of fruits and vegetables are also high in insoluble fibre.

Benefits of dietary fibre

So, why is everyone fibremaxxing? Eating enough fibre every day is clinically proven to have many long-term health benefits, including:

Nourishing gut bacteria

Your gut is full of hundreds of species of bacteria that perform many roles in your body, such as controlling blood sugar and supporting your immune system. While other nutrients are absorbed by your body before they reach this bacteria in your large intestine, fibre passes through without being broken down. The bacteria releases enzymes to break down the fibre and, in return, produce short-chain fatty acids, which play a key role in maintaining your gut lining.

When your gut lining is healthy, you have a lower risk of developing inflammation or chronic conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and even bowel cancer. [2]

Reducing constipation

Both types of dietary fibre can affect your bowel movements. Insoluble fibre adds dry mass to your stools, while soluble fibre increases their water content. Consuming a good balance of both types helps waste move through your digestive system smoothly and can both prevent and relieve constipation. [3] Eating too much of one or the other, however, can sometimes cause constipation or increased bowel movements, so it's important to include a variety of fibre sources in your diet to prevent this.

Regulating blood sugar levels

Fibre-rich foods have a lower glycaemic index than other types of carbohydrates, which simply means they raise your blood sugar slowly. This helps prevent blood sugar spikes after you eat, and the associated tiredness and food cravings when your levels drop again. In the long-term, this can help your body continue managing your blood sugar effectively and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. [4]

Lowering cholesterol

As well as managing blood sugar, fibre can help control your LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol levels. [5] When soluble fibre absorbs water in your digestive system, it forms a gel in your intestines which helps trap cholesterol and prevent its absorption into your bloodstream. By reducing your cholesterol levels, fibre can also help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. [6]

Supporting weight loss

Some types of fibre, particularly soluble fibres, can help support your long-term weight loss goals. By absorbing water in your digestive system, soluble fibre helps slow the absorption of nutrients and increases feelings of fullness, which can result in a reduced appetite. [7, 8]

Eating a fibre-rich diet, and supplementing with fibre powders like glucomannan and psyllium husk, can also help enhance the results of medical weight loss treatments such as Wegovy or Mounjaro.

What our experts say about fibremaxxing

We encourage you to follow the NHS guidance and aim to eat 30g of dietary fibre every day. To get the maximum health benefit, you should try to get fibre from a diverse range of sources, including wholegrain foods, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. If you're struggling to reach your daily goal, fibre powders such as glucomannan and psyllium husk can help supplement your diet.

There is no need to exceed the recommended fibre intake of 30g. Eating too much fibre can have an adverse effect on your digestive system, causing bloating, wind, cramping, and constipation or diarrhoea. Increasing your fibre intake too quickly can also cause some side effects, so we'd advise gradually introducing fibre-rich foods into your diet to give your body time to adjust.

You should speak to your doctor before making changes to your fibre intake if you experience irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease, as making changes to your diet can trigger your symptoms.

Interested in weight loss support?

At MedExpress, we offer online consultations with regular clinical check-ins, and a range of weight loss treatments including Mounjaro Pen, Wegovy Pen, Wegovy Pill and Foundayo. Our team can help you find the right treatment for you.

References

1. NHS. How to get more fibre into your diet [Internet]. NHS. 2022 July [cited 2026 July 30]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/
2. Zhang F, Fan D, Huang J, Zuo T. The gut microbiome: linking dietary fiber to inflammatory diseases. Medicine in Microecology. 2022 Dec;14(2590–0978):100070.
3. Yang J. Effect of dietary fiber on constipation: A meta analysis. World Journal of Gastroenterology [Internet]. 2012 [cited 2026 July 30];18(48):7378. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3544045/
4. InterAct Consortium. Dietary fibre and incidence of type 2 diabetes in eight European countries: the EPIC-InterAct Study and a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Diabetologia. 2015 May 29;58(7):1394–408.
5. Ghavami A, Ziaei R, Talebi S, Barghchi H, Nattagh-Eshtivani E, Moradi S, et al. Soluble Fiber Supplementation and Serum Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md) [Internet]. 2023 May 1 [cited 2026 July 30];14(3):465–74. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36796439/
6. Zhang L, Chen Y, Yang Q, Guo J, Zhou S, Zhong T, et al. The Impact of Dietary Fiber on Cardiovascular Diseases: A Scoping Review. Nutrients [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 July 30];17(3):444. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/3/444
7. Baer DJ, Rumpler WV, Miles CW, Fahey GC. Dietary Fiber Decreases the Metabolizable Energy Content and Nutrient Digestibility of Mixed Diets Fed to Humans. The Journal of Nutrition. 1997 Apr 1;127(4):579–86.
8. Hervik AK, Svihus B. The Role of Fiber in Energy Balance. Journal of nutrition and metabolism [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2026 July 30];2019:4983657. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6360548/