😱 What Happens If You Eat 100g of Fiber a Day?

In a remote corner of Tanzania, the Hadza tribe (one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer societies), consumes upwards of 100g of fiber per day, every day. 

No…that’s not a typo. 100g+

Wild tubers, berries, baobab fruit, fibrous roots… their natural diet is a microbial feast.

Now compare that to the 15g most Westerners manage to scrape together.

The fiber gap is one of many reasons why the Hadza (and other traditional populations like the Matsés or Yanomami) have microbiomes that put ours to shame…

not just in diversity, but in function. 

They don’t just have more bacteria but they also have better bacteria, with more gene pathways to ferment fiber, create health-supporting compounds like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and regulate immune responses.

Hence why these populations also better metabolic profiles and lower rates of chronic disease.

You can’t resurrect bacteria that have gone extinct from our guts (tiny violin) but by feeding the ones we still have, we can upgrade their skills and arm them with shiny new toys.

Studies show that increasing fiber rewires what your tiny tenants can do. Even surviving species gain new functional capabilities: more butyrate production, better mucosal protection, improved metabolic signaling.eating more fiber is like sending your microbiome to an intensive boot camp for naughty kids…they come out better behaved and equipped with more life skills

So what happens if you eat 100g?

You probably won't start there (unless you're a masochist with a lot of toilet paper). But studies looking at high-fiber diets… especially those mimicking ancestral patterns, show major shifts:

• Higher SCFA production (especially butyrate, your gut lining's best friend)
  

• Improved insulin sensitivity
  

• Lower cholesterol and inflammation
  

• Rebalanced gut-brain signaling
  

• And crucially: microbial richness and stability - this is what protects your against chronic disease.
  
  

Home work for you…don’t stop at 30g of fiber

Most governments say 25–30g/day. That’s fine…if your goal is adequate. But what if you want optimal? 

Here’s your step-by-step protocol to move toward ancestral fiber levels without destroying your bathroom schedule.

Phase 1: Week 1–2 → soluble first

Start with 5–10g/day of soluble fibers (gentler on the gut):

E.g. Barley, oats, beans, flesh of fruits (think raspberries)

Water target: drink at least 250ml per 5g fiber.

Phase 2: Week 3–4 → build the mix

Increase fiber to 20–30g/day. Layer in things like chia, flax seeds and resistant starch (cooled potatoes, greenish bananas)

Phase 3: Week 5–6+ → Add more insoluble fiber

Now you’re ready to push to 40–60g and beyond:

• Whole grains (bulgur, barley)
  

• Raw veg (carrots, cabbage, celery)
  

• Legumes with skins
  

• Fermented foods to re-seed and support diversity
  
  

Eventually, you might hit 70–100g if you’re deliberate. Will it feel weird at first? Abso-effing-lutely…but if you’re patient, your microbes adapt and you might gain functions your gut lost decades ago.

P.S If you enjoyed reading this…I want you to send this to one person you feel would benefit from learning more about gut health or those little critters living inside us!

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