Should you be ‘fibremaxxing’?

If you find yourself seeking out chia seed breakfast pudding, you might be fibremaxxing. Photo / 123rf

A familiar concept gets a Gen Z rebranding. But is it nutritionist-approved?

First came smellmaxxing. And then sleepmaxxing. Don’t forget flavourmaxxing. Now there is a newcomer to the scene. Fibremaxxing.

In the latest example of social media users fixating on something – only to have some take it to an extreme – proponents of the fibremaxxing trend are loading up their meals with soaked chia seeds and cruciferous vegetables in an effort to increase their fibre intake, and often to also lose weight.

“Fibre is super cool – I think more people should be eating fibre,” said Pamela Corral, a 25-year-old wellness content creator who said she tried to eat more than the recommended daily amount of fibre, which in the United States is approximately 25g for women.

Corral’s TikToks, which often extol the virtues of the nutrient in text laid over footage of her morning chia seed puddings, have found a huge audience. A recent video garnered more than 10 million views.

Corral said inspiration for her videos tended to strike when she was eating things, like her fibre-rich pudding. “I try to eat it often,” she said, “so I can make videos”.

Elsewhere, fibremaxxing proponents are talking up the health benefits of a fibre-rich diet, citing common foods you most likely already have in your house that are packed with fibre and talking about how it’s the rare food trend that is about what you should add to your diet, rather than what to cut out of it.

Fibremaxxing is, essentially, a catchy Gen Z-style label for a niche trend, and the origins of the term remain unclear. (Corral said she first heard the term on the social media platform X, where she follows other wellness creators.) But it ties into a broader movement of social media users who routinely call for increased fibre consumption. That message has been driven by a coalition of health-conscious content creators, dietitians with online followings and people pushing their own gut health products.

As with many other trends, too much of a good thing has the potential to be a problem, with experts cautioning against going overboard. But most participants, at this point, are simply adding more fibre to their meals with intention, giving the fibremaxxing trend a rare accolade among internet fads: a seal of approval from nutrition experts.

“This is a fun trend to see happening,” said Emily Haller, a registered dietitian. Most people do not eat enough fibre, which is good for your gut, heart and brain, she said.

“A lot of times we see people obsessing about things that really don’t move the needle in terms of health,” Haller said, “whereas eating more plants and ingesting more fibre is going to have a positive health benefit.”

Fibre-rich diets are linked to numerous health benefits, including healthier guts and longer lives. And it’s a very satiating nutrient, meaning it can help you feel fuller longer, which can help with weight loss, said Kate Mintz, a registered dietitian at UCLA Health.

“Many people don’t get enough fibre, but it’s just important to be thoughtful about how you’re doing it so that it’s not too much too fast,” Mintz said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Written by: Nicole Stock

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