Q. I was told I should eat more fiber. So my husband told me to start drinking Metamucil. Is that a good source of fiber? Is Metamucil gluten free?
A. Metamucil is soluble fiber. Other forms of soluble fiber are oats (if you buy your oats from a manufacturer that only produces oats you’re safe from injurious gluten peptides), and stemmed vegetables. Brown rice and other non-gluten-containing grains such as amaranth and quinoa have insoluble fiber. You need a mixture of both kinds of fibers for optimal bowel health. Berries are another source, especially blackberries, raspberries and boysenberries. Basically, there are a lot of non-gluten sources of healthy fiber, so enjoy! According to the Metamucil website, all Metamucil Powders and Capsules are gluten-free. Metamucil Wafers, however, contain gluten (Apple 0.7g/dose; Cinnamon 0.5g/dose) because they have wheat flour as an ingredient.
Health and happiness,
Dr. Jeffrey Aron
Gastroenterologist, San Francisco
(Dr. Aron is no longer taking questions.)
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