Abstract
Dietary fiber intake protects against chronic disease, especially cardiovascular disease.Usual dietary fiber intake is less than half of recommended levels, so most consumers need to increase consumption of high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits.Fiber may have a role in the prevention and treatment of digestive disorders such as constipation. For more complicated digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, fiber may be helpful.While some health benefits of dietary fiber clearly pertain to its physical properties (e.g., colonic bulk), fiber and phytochemicals are almost impossible to separate in epidemiologic studies. Much of the health effect of fiber may be due to the phytochemicals with which it is associated. Therefore, best medical practice is to encourage fiber consumption from foods. Fiber supplements may be recommended for laxation and cholesterol lowering, but whole foods high in dietary fiber also contain phytochemicals that provide additional health benefits. Dietary fiber intake protects against chronic disease, especially cardiovascular disease. Usual dietary fiber intake is less than half of recommended levels, so most consumers need to increase consumption of high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. Fiber may have a role in the prevention and treatment of digestive disorders such as constipation. For more complicated digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, fiber may be helpful. While some health benefits of dietary fiber clearly pertain to its physical properties (e.g., colonic bulk), fiber and phytochemicals are almost impossible to separate in epidemiologic studies. Much of the health effect of fiber may be due to the phytochemicals with which it is associated. Therefore, best medical practice is to encourage fiber consumption from foods. Fiber supplements may be recommended for laxation and cholesterol lowering, but whole foods high in dietary fiber also contain phytochemicals that provide additional health benefits.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Nutrition and Health (United Kingdom) |
Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
Pages | 13-24 |
Number of pages | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2010 |
Publication series
Name | Nutrition and Health (United Kingdom) |
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Volume | Part F3880 |
ISSN (Print) | 2628-197X |
ISSN (Electronic) | 2628-1961 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010.
Keywords
- colon function
- dietary fiber
- Fiber
- whole grain