How Much Fiber Do You Need?

How much fiber do children and adults need?
Women should have between 25-30 grams fiber per day.
Men should have between 30-35 grams fiber per day.
Children should have the equivalent amount of fiber as their age, plus five grams. (For example, if your child is eight, then he/she should have 13g fiber per day (8+5=13)).

How much fiber does the average person get?
The average person has 9-11grams of fiber per day.

Can you get too much fiber?
Some health care experts believe that eating more than 50g of fiber per day may adversely affect vitamin and mineral absorption. While this is technically true, rarely does anyone eat near that amount of fiber. Most of us don't eat even the small amount we need -- 25 to 30g -- of fiber per day. The average American eats only nine to 11 grams of fiber a day. So, don't let the fear of becoming nutrient deficient stop you from boosting your fiber intake. The benefits of fiber far outweigh the remote possibility that you will eat quantities large enough to pose any problem.