Fiber Pills to Help You Feel Full

Fiber pills can be used to help give you a feeling of fullness without the ingestion of a large number of calories. Pills can be taken before, during or after a meal, but perform best when taken about 20 minutes before the start of a meal. Fiber gives a feeling of satiety and helps regulate blood sugar.

Water

• Follow the guidelines recommended for taking the fiber supplement, particularly the directions for the amount of water to drink along with each dose. Fiber from food sources is accompanied by water or juices that are not a part of a supplement. The water content adds to the feeling of fullness, helping render the fiber more effective, but more importantly, failure to accompany fiber use with adequate water intake carries risks including choking and bowel obstruction.

Food

• Consume the pills with food. Fiber in pill form may not work the way fiber we get from food items functions. Eating the pills in conjunction with a meal may help the two work together. The American Dietetic Association considers some forms of supplemental fiber within its list of functional foods (foods which may be beneficial, adding to our health when consumed as part of a healthy diet).

Supplement

• Take a vitamin supplement if there is any question whether you are consuming the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals. Whether from the effect of fiber itself or the failure to eat properly, some people have experienced problems with iron and zinc absorption (possibly because fiber speeds up the movement of materials through portions of the digestive system). Fiber stimulates the natural movements of the intestines and helps carry out wastes, unfortunately taking some of the nutrients from our food along for the ride.

Diet

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet in addition to taking the pills. Smaller meals are acceptable as long as they contain the recommended daily allowance of all necessary nutrients. Use the pills as part of a program to reduce your intake of highly processed (refined) foods and high-fat foods.

Food Choices

• Use the pills as a way to transition into eating more foods naturally high in fiber. Try to eat foods as close to their raw state as possible or select high-fiber meal components. Part of the benefit of fiber is that it takes longer to break down in the body; fiber from food sources requires more chewing, which leads to slower consumption. Fiber slows sugar absorption, keeping blood sugar steady and slows fat absorption (with some of the fat passing out in our stool).

Medications

• Tell your doctor about any change in your fiber intake as it may influence the absorption of medication and may change the amount of insulin needed for diabetics.