Effects of dietary fiber on digestive enzymes

Dietary fibers affect the functioning of the GI tract as indicated by a lower digestibility and availability of nutrients from high-fiber diets. Assimilation of nutrients from diets requires the movement of the bolus of food through the gut, the enzymatic hydrolysis of complex nutrients to simpler compounds, and absorption of these compounds into and through the small intestinal cells. The presence of dietary fibers can alter these processes, resulting in a slower rate of nutrient absorption and a shift in the site of absorption to the more distal areas of the small intestine. In this chapter, the effects of dietary fibers on digestive enzyme activity and on the intestinal contents are reviewed.