Dietary fiber is included as carbohydrate proximate analysis of foods and with any definition its major fraction is indeed carbohydrates.
The term ‘dietary fiber’ was first used for plant cell wall, and later more specifically for indigestible remnants thereof.
Non-digestible carbohydrates are the main dietary fibers found to have physiological effects in humans include cellulose, mixed linkage-B-glucans, hemicellulose, pectins and gums.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. The water insoluble group that includes wheat products and wheat bran is believed to reduce chances of colon cancer by increasing bulk and diluting the effect of secondary bile acids.
The water insoluble fibers keep the bowel clean and operative and help bind dangerous toxins and hormones for better excretion.
The water-soluble fibers such as those found in the brans of some cereals (e.g., oats and rice) and in pectin are believed to lower the levels of serum cholesterol by binding with bile acids and causing removal of cholesterol in the feces.
This type of fiber is digestible and when broken down it creates a kind of gel as it absorbs water in the intestinal tract.
Diets high in dietary fiber, cereal fiber and whole grains are associated with lower body weights.
Dietary fiber especially cereal fiber, has been inversely related to abnormal glucose tolerance and insulin resistance as well as the incidence of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in some studies.
The physical characteristics of dietary fiber are the primary factors thought to regulate appetite and food intake. Solubility, viscosity, binding capacity and bulking properties, all will influence digestion, absorption and subsequent metabolism of nutrients in the small intestine.
The consumptions of fiber is recommended, although not to excess. It appears that excessive amounts of dietary fiber may interfere with the retention of minerals required by the body.
What is a dietary fiber?
