What Fiber Supplement Has the Best Absorption?

Fiber supplements can be consumed in order to improve your overall health and the health of your intestines and digestive track, and the right amount of fiber consumption is associated with reduced disease risks. Getting enough fiber in your diet can help improve cardiovascular conditions; can help prevent strokes, diabetes and hypertension; and can also serve as a defense against certain forms of cancer. Some fiber supplements are better than others, however, because they allow for proper bodily absorption.

Fiber Consumption Advantages

• Getting the right daily allowance of fiber helps you to significantly lower your cholesterol absorption as well as your absorption of unwanted fats. Fiber can give you a full sensation, which will quickly serve to reduce your appetite as well. A doubling of one's fiber intake can promote weight loss and can help you to reduce 100 calories from your daily food intake every day. What's more, fiber is great for promoting bowel movement regularity and reducing issues with the intestines.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

• According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, adult males require at least 30 grams of fiber every day, and adult females require 25 to 26 grams of fiber intake daily. Pregnant females should consume 28 grams of fiber daily, and women who are breastfeeding need 29 grams of fiber each day. If you are considering doubling your fiber intake, you must do so with care: too much fiber can lead to issues with constipation and can even cause bowel obstructions. In addition, some supplements do not absorb as well as others, so you must choose your fiber supplements carefully.

Fiber Intake Concerns

• Just as fiber can minimize how much fat and cholesterol the body absorbs, some fiber supplements can create absorption difficulties for much-needed minerals and vitamins. What's more, various medications which must be absorbed in the body in order to be effective might not be absorbed properly when a fiber supplement is used: some cholesterol medications, medications for diabetes and medications for depression are blocked by fiber supplementation. It might be necessary to take the fiber supplement several hours after you have taken necessary medications in order to allow for the appropriate absorption of your medications first; taking medicines 2 to 4 hours before a fiber supplement is recommended to maximize medication absorption.

  Diabetics must take particular care when consuming fiber supplements and should not do so without consent from a medical professional. The consumption of fiber supplements either in pill or powder form can cause blood sugar levels to decrease, and insulin medications might have to be changed as a result. Some fiber supplements might actually irritate the intestines, especially if consumed in large amounts, and can further irritate existing intestinal conditions too. Again, consulting with a doctor before taking a supplement is highly recommended to avoid potential problems later on.

Soluble Versus Insoluble

• Soluble fiber supplements are far easier to digest than those that include insoluble forms of fiber. Insoluble fiber is offered to help make bowel movements easier, and therefore does not increase bodily absorption of minerals, vitamins and the fiber supplement. An insoluble fiber has an easier time being digested: it dissolves within the intestinal region and passes through the intestinal wall into the body where it can then be used by various parts of the body. Soluble fibers are the exact opposite, turning into a semi-liquid substance. Soluble fibers help to make bowel movements easier and to block absorption of cholesterol and fat.

Supplement Recommendations

• Your best bet is to invest in an insoluble fiber if you are consuming fiber to lose weight, to improve your cholesterol levels and/or to block fats from being absorbed. If you want to improve bodily absorption, you will want a fiber that is soluble and therefore easily digestible. Psyllium husk fiber supplements offer a good mixture of both types of fiber, so that you can gain the advantages of soluble and insoluble fiber types: Metamucil® is one such fiber supplement. There are still other fiber supplements like FiberChoice® which offer absorption aids for calcium.