Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Forum - Heather's IBS Message Boards

Hi - I've just realized that a lot of folks are misunderstanding what a measured teaspoon / tablespoon dose means when it comes to taking the Tummy Fiber Acacia Senegal. If you're just starting Tummy Fiber, and you haven't been taking any other soluble fiber supplement, you'll want to start with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon twice daily. This means a level measuring/baking teaspoon - not a teaspoon that you'd use to stir a drink or eat soup. A utensil teaspoon is much larger than a measuring teaspoon. And a level teaspoon is about half of a fully rounded teaspoon. So you can inadvertently start at a much higher dose than intended if you're not using a level measuring teaspoon. You can also start at just 1/4 teaspoon twice daily if you suspect that your gut needs a slower adjustment period to fiber.

If you're switching to Tummy Fiber from another fiber supplement, you can either start at the same dose you've been using, or drop your dose a bit and then gradually increase. Make sure you are calculating equivalent doses in terms of grams, and NOT by teaspoon/tablespoon volume, because supplements can vary a lot here. Sometimes switching supplements can require you to drop your dose at first, then slowly increase again, just to keep your gut stable as you introduce it to a new fiber.

As you gradually increase your dose, you can get to a maximum level of about four level tablespoons a day total (divided doses are preferable). This means a measuring/baking tablespoon, and again it should be level and not rounded. You do not HAVE to get to the maximum dose, and if you stabilize at a lower dose please feel free to stay there.

It doesn't take very much Tummy Fiber to give you a good dose of soluble fiber in terms of grams. One level teaspoon is 2 grams, and one level measuring tablespoon is 6 grams of soluble fiber. If you just pour that amount of Acacia onto a plate or something you'll see that it's not very much in terms of volume at all.

Also, there is a whole FAQ about Tummy Fiber here Tummy Fiber Frequently Asked Questions. And, if you're interested in cooking with Tummy Fiber (super easy!) there's information and recipes here.

Sometimes it's the little things that make a big difference!

Best,
Heather

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She’s the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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