‘Fibermaxxing’ for IBD: Is It Safe?
Health ConditionsDigestive HealthIBD

Is ‘Fibermaxxing’ Safe for Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Is ‘Fibermaxxing’ Safe for Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Everyday Health
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Published on October 29, 2025
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If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or Instagram lately, you’ve probably seen the “fibermaxxing” trend blowing up: It involves people posting about how they eat huge salads for breakfast, fill half their plates with lentils and chickpeas, or snack on high-fiber granola bars throughout the day.

The idea is simple — pack as much fiber as possible into every meal or snack, often with the goal of meeting or exceeding the daily recommendations for fiber intake: That’s about 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men.

Many people with IBD are nervous about eating fiber, but for most, it’s possible to safely include the right kinds in your diet.
— Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, LDN, registered dietitian and member of the Board of Trustees of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

There’s no doubt fiber is important: It can keep things moving in your digestive system, help stabilize blood sugar, reduce risk of chronic disease, and even lower cholesterol. But if you’re one of the 1 in 100 Americans living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — there are some things to consider if you’re thinking of jumping on this “fibermaxxing” trend.

With IBD, Relax the ‘Max’ in ‘Fibermaxxing,’ and Focus on Balance Instead

Talking about fiber and IBD is complex. Historically, people with IBD have been advised to follow a low-fiber diet — and because certain types of fiber may worsen symptoms during flares, many avoid it altogether.

However, emerging research shows that a higher intake of fiber, especially from fruits and whole grains, may actually reduce the frequency of symptoms and flares in IBD.

This is likely because fiber feeds helpful gut bacteria, which then produce short-chain fatty acids, substances that can reduce inflammation.

Still, adding fiber needs to be a gradual process: Eating too much, too quickly can make symptoms worse as gut microbes ferment (break down) the fiber, which can lead to increased gas, bloating, and discomfort.

To make this process easier on your gut, try introducing just one new fiber-rich food every two to three days, rather than making dramatic changes overnight. Think of it like training for a marathon — a slow, steady build gives your gut time to adapt and can improve overall tolerance.

Guidelines from leading groups and international experts recommend not avoiding fiber altogether with IBD. Instead, they encourage adding it as tolerated, with careful attention to type, amount, and timing.

 Your gut’s needs may change over time, so a personalized approach and regular conversations with your care team or an IBD-focused registered dietitian are best.

5 Tips for Getting Enough Fiber With IBD

Many people with IBD are nervous about eating fiber, but for most, it’s possible to safely include the right kinds in your diet.

 Here are five practical tips that can help.

1. Introduce Fiber Gradually

A sudden increase in fiber may overwhelm a sensitive gut, resulting in lots of gas, bloating, and discomfort. It’s much better to increase fiber slowly over a few weeks. This gives your digestive system and the bacteria in your gut time to adjust, so you can get the benefits with fewer digestive issues.

2. Choose the Right Type of Fiber for Your Gut

Fiber isn’t just one thing. It can be soluble, insoluble, or fermentable, depending on how it interacts with water and your gut bacteria.

  • Soluble, viscous fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel in your intestines, helping to slow things down and potentially easing diarrhea or urgency. Good sources include avocado, bananas, sweet potatoes, oats, peas, and psyllium.
  • Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and adds bulk to your stool, making it useful for constipation. Think whole grains, wheat bran, cauliflower, and green beans.
  • Fermentable fiber is broken down by gut microbes, which can sometimes lead to extra gas and bloating. Beans, inulin (in some bars or supplements), wheat dextrin, and oligosaccharides (a type of carbohydrate found in foods like wheat, onions, and artichokes) fit this category.

If you’re unsure which type of fiber works best for you, introduce them gradually and pay attention to your body’s response. For persistent digestive issues or questions, your healthcare team or an IBD-focused registered dietitian can help guide your choices.

3. Modify Food Texture for Better Tolerance

Cooking, blending, or pureeing fiber-rich foods can break down fibers into smaller particles, making them easier on the digestive system, especially when flaring and in those with a history of strictures or intestinal narrowing.

 For example, opting for a smoothie instead of raw salad or nut butters instead of raw nuts can reduce symptoms without eliminating fiber entirely.

4. Stay Hydrated

Making sure to drink plenty of water is important when you’re upping your fiber intake. That’s because you need more fluids to process fiber and keep things moving smoothly. If you don’t drink enough fluids, it can make constipation, pain, and discomfort worse.

5. Work With a Registered Dietitian Familiar With IBD

Having a registered dietitian in your corner is a game changer. A dietitian familiar with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can help you figure out how much (and what kind) of fiber works for your body, offer food suggestions that suit your needs, and help you navigate flares without unnecessary guesswork.

To find an IBD-focused registered dietitian, ask your gastroenterologist or primary care provider for recommendations, or use the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Find a Nutrition Expert tool to search for an expert near you. You can also check the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Find a Medical Expert page for local dietitians and gastroenterologists.

The Takeaway

  • “Fibermaxxing” — going all-in on fiber — sounds trendy, but it’s not one-size-fits-all for people with IBD, since people’s fiber tolerances are different and too much can backfire during flares.
  • Gentle strategies work best: Focus on slowly increasing your fiber intake, modifying fiber type and texture, and staying well hydrated to support digestion and gut health.
  • Talk with your care team, including an IBD-focused registered dietitian, to build a fiber plan that’s customized to your needs and fits with your IBD management plan.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2020.
  2. Gold S et al. The Evolving Guidelines on Fiber Intake for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease; From Exclusion to Texture Modification. Current Gastroenterology Reports. March 2025.
  3. Di Rosa C et al. The Role of Dietary Fibers in the Management of IBD Symptoms. Nutrients. November 2022.
  4. Bischoff SC et al. ESPEN Guideline on Clinical Nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Nutrition in Clinical Practice. March 2023.
  5. What Should You Eat if You Have IBD? Mount Sinai. June 30, 2022.
  6. Sauer P et al. Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Who Regularly Consume Fruits and Vegetables Present Lower Prevalence of Disease Activation: A Cross-Sectional Study. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. June 2024.
  7. Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet. Mayo Clinic. December 11, 2024.
  8. Prados A. Fiber in IBD. Nutritional Therapy for IBD.
  9. What Should I Eat With IBD? Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
  10. IBD-AID Diet. UMass Chan Medical School Center for Applied Nutrition.
  11. Finding an IBD-Focused Dietitian. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
Meet Our Experts
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Reyna-Franco-bio

Reyna Franco, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.

In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.

Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.

She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

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Kelly Issokson

Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, LDN

Author
From Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, LDN, is a member of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s (CCF) board of trustees and a senior registered dietitian at the University of California in San Francisco. She also serves on the CCF’s patient education and advocacy Committees and often speaks at local support groups to help people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) better understand the role of nutrition in managing their condition.

She specializes in working with patients who have IBD, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as other digestive disorders such as celiac disease and short gut syndrome. Previously, she was the clinical nutrition coordinator at the F. Widjaja IBD Institute at Cedars-Sinai, where she launched Cedars-Sinai’s Advanced Dietary IBD Education and Training (DIET) program and provided care in integrative and prehabilitation clinics.

Kelly has presented research nationally and serves as associate editor of nutrition for Crohn’s & Colitis 360, the Foundation’s open-access journal. Her research focuses on nutrition’s role in IBD management and recovery, including optimizing patients’ health before surgery. She has also coauthored a chapter on diet and the microbiome in IBD in Women’s Health in IBD.

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