Some aspects of dietary fibre metabolism in the human gut
1980
Cummings, J.H.
Dietary fiber is probably best defined as a non-starch polysaccharide. Some of the difficulties in assessing the effects of fiber on humans are: collecting and analyzing data on consumption; standardizing fiber for use in experimental diets; isolating the effects of fiber intake from those of other nutrients; and failing to recognize the distinctive effects of different types of fiber. Fiber is known to affect the large intestine (wheat fiber is the most effective); it increases fecal output and decreases transit time; it metabolizes to short-chain fatty acids, carbon dioxide, and methane; and it increases colonic bacterial mass, inhibits bile acid dehydroxylation, and lowers ammonia levels. The mechanism that explains these actions remains unclear, but the retention of water seems to be related. Other physiological effects include appetite reduction, altered insulin response and glucose tolerance, blood cholesterol reduction, and increased excretion of neutral sterols and bile acid. (cj)
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