Acacia Tummy Fiber
#25197 - 11/02/03 01:05 PM
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Birgit
Reged: 11/02/03
Posts: 1
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Heather,
Last week I ordered Acacia Tummy Fiber from Heather Van Vorous' site. I started using it this weekend but it seems to have a terrible effect on me: I have diarrhoea, bloating and a lot of gas. I actually bought it to help me do away with bloating, gas and occasional constipation. I'm wondering if this is normal...
Thanks!
Bieke
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Hi, and welcome! Well no, this isn't normal. Acacia should just normalize bowel function. It won't turn constipation into diarrhea, or diarrhea into constipation. It's also much less likely to cause bloating and gas than other soluble fiber supplements.
But, there is always individual variation in how people tolerate different soluble fiber supplements. It's important that you start with a low dose (for acacia as well as any other variety) of about 1 teaspoon twice a day. Stay with that for several days, and then start to gradually increase. What you don't want to do, with any soluble fiber supplement, is go from nothing to a large daily dose all at once. You want to get your gut gradually used to an increase in soluble fiber, and stabilize on a dose of it that will keep you on an even keel every day.
Please email me at heather@helpforibs.com if you have any other concerns. I'd like to follow up with you about this and make sure things are getting better.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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I also just got the Acacia Tummy fiber. I was in
terrible shape with constant D. I took one teaspoon
in 8oz of water and was amazed at how it had NO taste
or grittyness. The result of taking it was that my D
stopped and 3 days later I had a normal BM. I'm wondering
if I should decrease the dosage to 1/2 tsp. and I'd like to just take it when I'm having a problem as oppossed to every day. Is that okay?
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Thanks for letting me know this. I'd keep taking the 1 teaspoon a day (or even twice a day - this still isn't a high dose) until you feel that you are completely stable. Then, if you like, you can transition off the supplement if you keep your soluble fiber food intake as your foundation.
But, the acacia and other soluble fiber supplements are actually meant to be used every day. They're much more effective as a preventive measure than for stopping problems once they start (they will do that, but it takes longer). They're not drugs, there's no risks or side effects, and soluble fiber will actually help lower your risk of heart disease and colon cancer, and stabilize blood sugar levels, as well as keep your gut functioning normally. So if you can find a daily dose that keeps you stable, just stay there, and you'll head off problems in the first place.
The other advantage is that it's easier to get a significant daily amount of soluble fiber with the supplements than just from the foods. So if you keep your daily intake high, you'll have a terrific tolerance for soluble fiber, and really the more fiber you can take the better (within reason, of course). You'll also be able to add in lots more insoluble fiber when you have a high soluble fiber base, and this is crucial as it will let you get plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, etc. And for overall health, the more fiber you eat (both kinds) the better.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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Hi AGAIN Heather; i AM CURIOUS, how is it that suppolements have a higher dose of fibre than foods, and does this include breads as well?
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Hi Louise - Foods that contain soluble fiber also have lots of other elements. The supplements contain nothing but soluble fiber at all. So in terms of volume, one cup of rice would have less soluble fiber than one cup of acacia, because the rice also has starch, proteins, plant cellular compounds other than fibers, etc. The acacia is just pure soluble fiber - all other elements from the original plant source (which is the acacia tree) have been extracted.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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Thank you for the information, I will start taking
1/2 to 1/4 tsp. a day and see how that goes. I also
take Cholestramine. I've been taking it for years.
I take 1/4tsp. every other day and it worked fine
for many years, until lately and thats when I added
your acacia to my regimine. As I'm sure you know
your not suppossed to take Cholestramine until 1 to 2
hours after taking medication and 5 to 6 hours before
taking medication so my question is do I have to follow
those directions when taking the acacia on the same
day as the cholestramine? It's such a pain trying to
take medicine and Cholestramine, but we got to do what
we got to do.
Thanks again for your you help!
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A Safe Place
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thanks for cleraring that up nt.
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Hi - the general rule is to treat soluble fiber supplements as food. So if a medication can't be taken with food, it can't be taken with the supplement. You can call your pharmacist to double-check on this, as it is a pain to try and coordinate the different supplements with meals, and with each other.
You might also try starting with 1 whole teaspoon, once or twice a day. 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon is a really tiny dose - you can start with that, but you'll likely have to gradually increase to a larger dose to see results.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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Thanks Heather. I took a half a tsp. today and I've
been sick ever since. I don't think it's the Acacia
but I'll wait and test out these dosages before I
decide what to do next. I know it takes awhile to
get the dosage correct. It took quite awhile to get
the 1/4tsp. dosage on the Cholestramine because I started
with one full scoop and the doctors tend to have you
increase for effect, but in my case I had to decrease
and go every other day. It just goes to show that
every body is different. I've read lots of post from
people who are not getting the results on Cholestramine
that they want and keep increasing the dose. They are
taking 100 times more than I take, but my doctor had
told me that to much has the same effect as not enough
so I had to keep adjusting until I found the right
dosage. As I remember it took me quite awhile.
Acacia may be the same so I'll just keep working with
it.
Thanks again for your help!
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A Safe Place
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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Here it is two weeks later and I'm reporting in with
an update. I was taking 1tsp. acacia a day and 1/4tsp
cholestramine every other day. I started to feel really
good and the D had stopped but I started to get C, so
I started taking the Acacia every other day. So one day
it's cholestramine and the next it's Acacia. I still
felt good. Then for some unknown reason yeasturday I
had really bad D and was in pain and sick all day.
I don't know what caused it but sometimes I never
do get to know. Thats whats so bad about IBS.
It's like being shot by a bullet. One minute
everything is fine and the next your entire life
is put on hold until you recover.
Anyway I'm either going to keep up the ever other day
regimine or go back to Acacia every day or talk to
my doctor and stop the cholestramine and just take
the acacia. I think acacia is wonderful. It is so
easy to take and no yucky taste. What a great invention.
Thank You Heather!
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A Safe Place
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I tried the acacia this morning and put 1/2 tsp in a glass of water. I stirred it as the directions said but it still ended up having white stuff at the top of my glass. I found it really hard to drink, it is better then the other brands for thickness and grittiness, but wondered if it was supposed to completely dissolve or still be white? If thats just the way it is are there others ways that i can take it? And it's supposed to be taken before you eat right?
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It tends to dissolve better in cold or warm water, but not well in boiling hot water (though it will eventually). Just 1/2 tsp in a cup of water should dissolve really quickly and easily. You might stir it with a fork instead of a spoon - I always do that with my soluble fiber supplements. After you stir it around, you can let it sit for just a minute or so, and anything left that's white should totally disappear. I usually add one whole tablespoon to a glass, and after I stir it in for about 30 seconds, I let it sit for another 30 seconds or so, and then it's totally clear and dissolved.
You can also add to just about any moist food. Throw it in the the blender with a smoothie, sprinkle over cream of rice cereal or oatmeal, sprinkle over pasta, stir into a bowl of soup, etc.
You can take acacia any time, but if you take it before a meal it will give you a really good soluble fiber foundation for your food and really help prevent meal-related problems. It's a good idea to take it on an empty stomach for that reason, too. It will stabilize you and keep you that way. Try first thing in the morning and again before dinner - if need a third dose try before lunch or right before you go to bed.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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I tried the acacia again before dinner tonight and got it to dissolve! Thanx! I think i just wasn't stirring and waiting enough to let it dissolve...first thing in the morning i'm not too patient. lol I have one other question though. I thought that right before you eat (eg. dinner) you weren't supposed to drink a lot because it can interfere with your digestion during your meal? And taking the acacia causes you to drink a whole glass of water right before you eat...
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Hi - you should be just fine drinking the acacia right before a meal. It's not that much water (just 8 oz.) and it's not plain water, it's soluble fiber. Try it and see how it works for you. You can always take it between meals, I just really like it right before a meal because then even if I'm eating more fat or insoluble fiber than is really safe, the acacia keeps me very stable.
You can also mix and match - take the acacia between meals if you're normally eating low fat, high soluble fiber meals in the first place. Then if you've got a less safe meal coming up (say, Thanksgiving ) or at a restaurant, take the acacia right before you eat for a big safety net.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is 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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