Is Fibremaxxing Helpful or Harmful?

This article was written by Maeve Hanan (Food Freedom & Disordered Eating Specialist Dietitian, Lead Dietitian at Dietetically Speaking).

If you spend any time on TikTok or Instagram, you may have come across the term fibremaxxing. This promises better digestion, improved health and a happier gut by eating as much fibre as possible.

On the surface, this may sound positive — after all, most people in the UK and Ireland don’t get enough fibre. But this trend isn’t risk-free, especially if you’re vulnerable to food rules or restriction.

This article explores what fibremaxxing involves, where the trend came from, its potential benefits and risks, and how to approach fibre intake in a balanced way.

What is Fibremaxxing?

At its core, fibremaxxing is about deliberately pushing fibre intake as high as possible. 

For some, this means building meals around fibre-rich foods like oats, beans, lentils, wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. 

Others include fibre supplements or powders such as inulin, psyllium husk or bran to reach an even higher intake.

There can also be a focus on eating a wide variety of plants in order to feed different beneficial gut bacteria with a range of fibre types. 

On social media, fibremaxxing often shows up as huge bowls of salad, chickpea pasta piled with vegetables, or overnight oats boosted with flaxseed and chia. While this can be a creative way to eat more plants, it sometimes results in people eating well above the recommended 30g of fibre per day, or increasing their fibre intake very quickly at the expense of the bigger picture of wellbeing.

Where Did Fibremaxxing Come From?

The term “fibremaxxing” began on TikTok, building on the wider “maxxing” trend — a social media phenomenon where people try to optimise one area of life as much as possible (e.g. “sleepmaxxing” for sleep, “looksmaxxing” for appearance).

In the case of fibre, influencers began posting recipes and “What I eat in a day” videos showing fibre-heavy meals.

The idea most likely caught on partly because it taps into real nutrition science: fibre has well-documented health benefits, and many people are falling short of recommendations.

But as with many online trends, the pendulum can swing from helpful awareness to extreme rule-following.

Why Fibre Matters

Fibre is the part of plant foods that our bodies can’t fully digest. Instead, it travels through the gut, where it has multiple important roles (1): 

• Gut health and regularity: Fibre adds bulk to stools and helps food move smoothly through the digestive system, preventing constipation.
  
• Feeding the microbiome: Some fibres act as prebiotics, fuelling beneficial gut bacteria. This can lead to the production of short-chain fatty acids that support gut lining, reduce inflammation, and may even influence mood.
  
• Satiety and satisfaction: High-fibre foods can help us feel fuller for longer.
  
• Blood sugar and cholesterol: Fibre can slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream and help lower LDL cholesterol.
  
• Long-term health: A higher fibre intake is linked to lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer.
  

In the UK, the recommendation for adults is 30g of fibre per day (2). However, average intake is closer to 20g per day, meaning many people could benefit from including more (3). 

The Potential Benefits of Fibremaxxing

There are a number of possible benefits to the fibremaxxing trend, such as: 

• Raising awareness about how important fibre is.
  
• Encouraging plant-based variety, including a range of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
  
• Improving gut health for those previously eating very little fibre.
  
• Creating positive motivation for some people who enjoy experimenting with recipes and cooking.
  

For those with very low fibre diets, small steps towards increasing intake can make a real difference in terms of digestion, energy levels and long-term health. But there are some other important considerations as well.

Concerns and Risks of Fibremaxxing

Fibremaxxing isn’t always risk-free — especially if you’re someone prone to rigid food rules, health anxiety or disordered eating behaviours.

Here are some of the risks to be aware of:

1. Obsessing About Fibre Intake

Fibremaxxing can shift into an obsession if not approached in a flexible way.

Social media trends often frame fibre as something you should be constantly tracking and maximising — which can create pressure to count grams or “upgrade” every meal with extra fibre. For some people, this can fuel anxiety around eating, a sense of guilt if they don’t meet self-imposed targets, or even the belief that meals without added fibre are “not good enough”.

Instead of enjoying food and the wider benefits of a balanced diet, eating can become dominated by numbers and rules, and you might start adding so much fibre to meals that they aren’t tasty and satisfying.

2. Normalising Disordered Thoughts and Behaviours

Another concern is that fibremaxxing can unintentionally normalise disordered patterns around food. The message that “fibre is always good” can lead to a distorted view where other nutrients, like fats or energy-dense foods, are seen as less valuable or even “bad”.

Some people may start deliberately bulking out meals with fibre to suppress appetite and reduce calories, leaving them overly full but under-fuelled. While this might look like a healthy choice on the surface, it can mask restrictive eating habits and reinforce the idea that eating less is somehow virtuous. Over time, this undermines both physical health and a balanced, flexible relationship with food.

3. Displacement of Other Nutrients

A plate overloaded with fibre may crowd out other essential nutrients like protein, fats, or simply enough calories for energy balance. For those who struggle with disordered eating this is particularly concerning, as there is often a tendency to bulk meals up with lots of fibre in order to keep calories low. 

4. Digestive Issues

Suddenly increasing fibre intake can cause bloating, gas, cramps and diarrhoea. Without enough fluids, extra fibre can even make constipation worse. Increasing fibre intake too quickly can be an issue for those with sensitive guts or IBS in particular, so take it slow and seek individual advice from a Dietitian if needed. 

5. Reliance on Supplements

While fibre supplements (like inulin or psyllium husk) can be useful in certain circumstances, over-reliance can reinforce rigid patterns and reduce dietary variety. Remember that whole foods offer not just fibre, but vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients too.

6. Perfectionism and “More = Better” Mindset

The language of “maxxing” suggests there’s always more to be done. For people with perfectionist tendencies, this can fuel anxiety around eating and a sense of failure if you don’t meet arbitrary goals.

A Balanced Approach to Fibre Intake

So, how can you increase fibre without falling into extremes?

• Go slow: Increase fibre gradually, adding one fibre-rich addition at a time to allow your gut to adjust.
  
• Aim for variety: Different fibres have different effects. A mix of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains is better than relying on one “superfood”.
  
• Prioritise balance: Make sure most meals include protein, fats and enough energy overall — fibre should be part of the picture, not the whole story.

• Satisfaction matters too: Actually enjoying your food is an important part of a healthy relationship with food, and it makes eating well more sustainable too. So don’t load up on so much fibre that your food doesn’t actually taste good, and don’t force yourself to eat chickpea pasta if you prefer regular pasta!
  
• Stay hydrated: Aim to drink regularly throughout the day. Keep an even closer eye on hydration (i.e. the colour of your wee) when increasing fibre to avoid increasing constipation risk.
  
• Listen to your body: Notice how different foods make you feel — and remember discomfort is a sign to pause, not push harder.
  
• Avoid rigid rules: You don’t need to count every gram of fibre to have a good intake, and often focusing on numbers and setting rigid targets (like 30g daily) can trigger an all-or-nothing mindset with food.
  

How to Spot if Fibremaxxing is Becoming Unhelpful

Fibre can absolutely support health, but it’s worth checking in with yourself. Warning signs that fibremaxxing may be tipping into unhelpful territory include:

• Feeling guilty or anxious if a meal doesn’t contain extra fibre.
  
• Routinely bulking out meals with fibre to reduce calories, leaving you too full to eat enough energy overall.
  
• Experiencing ongoing bloating, cramps, or constipation from high fibre intake but feeling unable to reduce it.
  
• Believing that fibre is “good” while other nutrients or food groups are “bad”.
  
• Spending excessive time counting fibre grams or planning meals only around fibre content.
  
• Avoiding foods you enjoy because they aren’t “high fibre enough”.
  

If any of these sound familiar, it may be a sign to step back, re-evaluate, and seek support with finding a more balanced and flexible approach.

Final Thoughts

Fibre is essential for health, and many people benefit from eating more. But the “maxxing” mentality risks turning a helpful goal into another rigid food rule. Or it can legitimise disordered thoughts or behaviours such as obsessing about fibre intake or bulking meals with fruit and veg in order to reduce calories.

If you struggle with disordered eating or you’re prone to food anxiety, it’s especially important to remember:

• Balance and flexibility are more sustainable than extremes.
  
• Gentle, gradual changes serve your body better than sudden overhauls.

Social media trends can shine a spotlight on nutrition, but they rarely show the full picture.

Instead of fibremaxxing, think about fibre balancing — making space for plants while also including enough energy, protein, fats, and foods you enjoy.

If you want to increase your fibre intake or improve your gut health without falling into restrictive patterns, get in touch to find out how me and my team can support you.

References:

1. Barber, T. M., Kabisch, S., Pfeiffer, A. F., & Weickert, M. O. (2020). The health benefits of dietary fibre. Nutrients, 12(10), 3209. [accessed September 2025 via: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096647/]
2. Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2015) “Carbohydrates and Health Report” [accessed September 2025 via: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-carbohydrates-and-health-report]
3. Public Health England (2020) “NDNS: results from years 9 to 11 (combined) – statistical summary” [accessed September 2025 via: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/ndns-results-from-years-9-to-11-2016-to-2017-and-2018-to-2019/ndns-results-from-years-9-to-11-combined-statistical-summary]