In the 1998 a well known GI doctor published a paper titled Bran: May Irritate Irritable Bowel. This suggested that insoluble fiber supplements can be a problem for individuals with all subtypes of IBS. On the other hand, some clinical research shows that soluble fiber supplements maybe of little benefit to some individuals with IBS. However, some soluble fiber supplements like inulin are rapidly fermented causes gas and spasms which could increase constipation. So it can dependent on which soluble fiber supplement is used.
One factor that gets little discussion is methane gas produced by bacteria in the colon can increase constipation. The more methane produced by methanogenic bacteria in the colonic flora the more constipation. However, not everyone has methanogenic bacteria in their colonic flora. So it is possible that for some people some soluble fiber supplements maybe fermented by methanogenic bacteria increasing methane gas production and therefore increasing constipation.
It likely isn't a mind thing but rather a physiological phenomena.
-------------------- STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
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Re: Why is it general consensus that fiber can infact be constipating?
