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Fibre supplements (also spelled fiber supplements) are considered to be a form of a subgroup of functional dietary fiber, and in the United States are defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). According to the IOM, functional fibre "consists of isolated, non-digestible that have beneficial physiological effects in humans".Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (2005). "Dietary Reference Intakes for energy, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein and animo acids". Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=R1
Fibre supplements are widely available, and can be found in forms such as powders, tablets, and capsules. Consumption of fibre supplements may be for improving dietary intake, lowering blood cholesterol, alleviating irritable bowel syndrome, reducing the risk of colon cancer, and increasing feelings of satiety.
Excessive fibre intake can lead to fluid imbalance, dehydration, mineral deficiencies, nutrient and , and other medical problems.
However, research has produced mixed results with respect to whether fibre supplements are as effective as dietary fibre in reducing blood cholesterol. Two recent studies show nearly opposing results, using fibre-supplemented apple juice containing both the soluble pectin from apples and gum arabic. In the first study, the supplement-enriched juice had no discernible effect on the blood cholesterol levels of 110 hypercholesterolaemic men and women. In the second study, the total and LDL-cholesterol levels of mildly hypercholesterolaemic men were lowered.
In another study, a dietary supplement consisting of both dietary fiber (guar gum, pectin) and insoluble fibre (soy fibre, pea fibre, corn bran) was found to reduce LDL-cholesterol for individuals that have mild to moderate hypercholesterolaemia without reducing HDL-cholesterol or increasing . Dietary Supplement Guide
Supplements containing extracted dietary fiber may have an effect on blood lipids that most resembles the effects of dietary fibre. In a more recent randomized, double blind clinical study of 58 hypercholesterolaemic volunteers, an extruded carob pulp preparation added to daily diet reduced total and LDL-cholesterol and improved the ratio of HDL:LDL cholesterol in all participants, and also showed a marked reduction in serum cholesterol in the women of the study.
Acacia senegal fiber (gum arabic - completely soluble, fully fermentable) has also been shown to have a prebiotic effect in the gut, significantly increasing Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli after 4 weeks of consumption.Calame W, Weseler AR, Viebke C, Flynn C, Siemensma AD. (2008). Acacia establishes prebiotic functionality in healthy human volunteers. Br J Nutr. 2008 May 9:1-7. Acacia ferments very slowly in the gut, and due to its polymeric nature does not disturb osmotic pressure, so it has a good gastrointestinal tolerance (it has no sudden and painful release of gas, and the total gas production is much lower than with FOS, for instance) and does not present any side effects at dosages up to 50 grams per day. Particularly helpful for IBS is that Acacia senegal behaves as a regulator; it is able to reduce diarrhea and reduce constipation.
Dietary insoluble fiber has long been shown to exacerbate Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms.Francis CY, Whorwell PJ. (1999). Bran and irritable bowel syndrome: time for reappraisal. Lancet. 1994 Jul 2;344(8914):39-40
Supplemental forms of fibre have been shown to potentially assist weight management by increasing satiety, decreasing the absorption rate of starches and sugars, and binding to lipids in the small intestine thereby reducing serum and chylomicron.
Powdered guar gum, a soluble fibre, was shown to be associated with a significantly lower energy intake in obese subjects who ingested a non-restricted diet over one week, when the same participants did not consume the fibre supplement.
A similar reduction of energy intake through fibre supplementation was observed in another study. A dose of guar gum was administered to normal-weight and obese participants. A 10% reduction of energy was observed in the normal subjects, and a 30% reduction of energy for obese subjects. Fibre supplementation has also been indicated to assist compliance to low-calorie diets, as indicated through decreased feelings of hunger and increased ratings of satiety. Other soluble fiber forms such as glucomannan have also been studied in relationship to blood sugar and fat digestion in obese patients.
The risk of intestinal obstruction from insoluble fiber in susceptible individuals, fluid imbalance leading to dehydration and mineral deficiencies may increase if more than 50 g of fibre is ingested per day. For this reason, individuals who decide to suddenly double or triple their fibre intake are often advised to double or triple their water intake. In addition, excessive intake of non-fermentable fibre (typically in supplemental form) may lead to mineral deficiencies by reducing the absorption or increasing the excretion of , especially when mineral intake is too low or when mineral needs are increased such as during pregnancy, lactation, or adolescence.
Excessive fibre intake can also contribute to nutrient and drug interactions. For example, antidepressant medications, diabetes medications, carbamazepine, cholesterol-lowering medications and penicillin. According to figures from Public Health England (PHE), most Britons are not getting enough fiber from their diets. Findings from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey reveal that the average Briton consumes 18g of fiber each day; however, this is significantly below the recommended intake of 30g.
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| FenFiber | S | natural, whole food - fenugreek | C |
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| ReguFIT | S/I | flax-seed, wheat bran, pineapple, oat bran, senna leaves, psyllium husks, stevia, omega 3-6 | P |
S=Soluble, I=Insoluble C=Capsule/Tablet, P=Powder
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