Supplement timing
Best Time to Take Fiber: Build Up Slowly
By Midline. Last reviewed .
The question
What is the best time to take fiber?
Short answer
Add fiber a bit at a time and see how your gut feels. Some people do not do well on a lot of it. If you take a fiber supplement like psyllium and take any medicine, ask your pharmacist how to space them.
Midline cannot measure visceral fat and is not medical advice. Check with a doctor before making medical decisions.
How should you take it?
Add fiber a bit at a time and see how your gut feels. Some people do not do well on a lot of it.
Andrew Huberman described Stanford work in which eating more fiber raised inflammatory markers in many people. He says too much fiber can be bad for some people.
Tim Spector says to eat a wide variety of plants, about 30 a week, to feed as many kinds of gut microbes as you can.
We do not have a sourced time of day for fiber. Follow the label.
What about medication?
If you take a fiber supplement like psyllium and take any medicine, ask your pharmacist how to space them.
Does fiber help with weight?
Soluble fiber helps your gut make the signals that tell you you're full. Soft, heavily processed food goes down so easily that you can overeat before those signals catch up.
How much? See how much fiber you need a day.
Do supplements help with fat loss?
Supplements sold to fix your gut and speed up weight loss do too little to matter. Habits come first.
Midline's fiber habit is about fiber and plant variety in food. It doesn't put a fiber supplement on your schedule.
Who should check first?
Follow the label. If you take any medicine, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a kidney or liver condition, check with your pharmacist or doctor first.
Check with your pharmacist or doctor about supplements if you take medication.
Want the right time for each supplement on one schedule? Read best time to take supplements, or start with the quick middle check.
Frequently asked questions
Should I build up fiber slowly?
Add fiber a bit at a time and see how your gut feels. Some people do not do well on a lot of it.
How far from medication should I take fiber?
If you take a fiber supplement like psyllium and take any medicine, ask your pharmacist how to space them.
Does fiber help with weight?
Soluble fiber helps your gut make the signals that tell you you're full. Soft, heavily processed food goes down so easily that you can overeat before those signals catch up.
Should I check with a pharmacist before taking fiber?
Check with your pharmacist or doctor about supplements if you take medication.
Keep reading
- How much fiber do you need a day?Food first, with sources.
- Best time to take vitaminsWhere fiber fits in a schedule.
- Foods for gut healthFermented foods, plants and cooled starch.
- Best time to take supplementsEvery supplement on Midline's schedule.
- What does third-party tested mean?What USP and NSF seals do and do not tell you.
- Visceral fat guideHabits experts recommend.
More answers
Sources
- Alan Aragon on The Diary Of A CEO. Alan Aragon, The Diary Of A CEOSupplements sold to fix the gut and boost weight loss show effects too small to matter in practice.
- Andrew Huberman on The Diary Of A CEO. Andrew Huberman, The Diary Of A CEODescribed Stanford work in which eating more fiber raised inflammatory markers in many people. He says too much fiber can be bad for some people.Study they described: Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status (Wastyk et al.) (Cell, 2021).
- Giles Yeo on The Diary Of A CEO. Giles Yeo, The Diary Of A CEOIn a clip in this compilation episode, he says to aim for 30 grams of fiber a day, about double what most people eat.
- Matthew Walker on The Diary Of A CEO. Matthew Walker, The Diary Of A CEOReaching for sleep supplements before fixing the basics is, in his words, stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.
- Sarah Berry on The Diary Of A CEO. Sarah Berry, The Diary Of A CEOGet at least 30 grams of fiber a day. Most people in the UK and US get about 20.
- Thomas DeLauer on YouTube. Thomas DeLauer, YouTubeRotate whole-food fibers, like artichokes, flax, asparagus, onions and leeks, instead of relying on one fiber.
- Thomas DeLauer on YouTube. Thomas DeLauer, YouTubeSoluble fiber and fermented foods support the gut signals behind fullness.
- Tim Spector on The Diary Of A CEO. Tim Spector, The Diary Of A CEOEat a wide variety of plants, about 30 a week, to feed as many kinds of gut microbes as you can.
All sources across the site are listed on the sources page.
Last reviewed . Educational only, not medical advice. Check with your pharmacist if you take medication.
We draft articles with AI help. A reviewer checks every health statement against the expert's own words in the video before it goes up.