Constipation and Fiber: Why Adding More Makes Things Worse

We’ve been told for decades that fiber prevents constipation, but science tells a different story. A 2012 clinical trial showed that removing fiber actually resolved constipation in every single patient. Nutrition researcher Zoë Harcombe explains why fiber isn’t essential, how it can block nutrient absorption, and why history and cereal marketing—not science—gave fiber its false health halo. If you’ve ever felt worse after eating more fiber, you’re not alone. The fiber myth deserves to be questioned.