Dietary Fibre - A Component of Food

Dietary fibre is now recognized as a vital component of good daily nutrition, yet its properties and specific role in the digestive system are still being investigated. The involvement of government agencies, the food industry and health professionals - as well as public interest - make this global overview, Dietary Fibre - A Component of Food, an important contribution to the literature on the subject. The cooperation of experts from different research centers and their peer review of each other's papers enhance the value of the book, since it presents consolidated views and objective assessments on such key issues as fibre analysis and mineral bioavailability. The seventeen chapters are grouped into three sections. The background papers deal with biochemical and analytical characteristics: e.g. the physico-chemical properties of food polysaccharides and bacterial fermentation in the colon. The papers on physiological effects deal with the physiological function of dietary fibre throughout the gastrointestinal tract: its influence on protein, lipid and carbohydrate digestion and absorption and its role in bile acid metabolism and faecal bulking. The third section of papers focuses on the prevention and treatment of disease: gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemias.

Section I. Background Papers.- 1. The Dietary Fibre Hypothesis: A Historical Perspective.- 2. Physico-chemical Properties of Food Plant Cell Walls.- 3. Physico-chemical Properties of Food Polysaccharides.- 4. Dietary Fibre Analysis.- 5. Gastro-intestinal Physiology and Function.- 6. Bacterial Fermentation in the Colon and Its Measurement.- 7. Metabolism and Utilisation of Short Chain Fatty Acids Produced by Colonic Fermentation.- Section II. Physiological Effects.- 8. The Influence of Dietary Fibre on Protein Digestion and Utilisation.- 9. The Influence of Dietary Fibre on Lipid Digestion and Absorption.- 10. The Influence of Dietary Fibre on Carbohydrate Digestion and Absorption.- 11. The Influence of Dietary Fibre on Mineral Absorption and Utilisation.- 12. Dietary Fibre and Bile Acid Metabolism.- 13. Faecal Bulking and Energy Value of Dietary Fibre.- Section III. Prevention and Treatment of Disease.- 14. Dietary Fibre in the Prevention and Treatment of Gastro-intestinal Disorders.- 15. Dietary Fibre in the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity.- 16. Dietary Fibre in the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.- 17. Dietary Fibre and Plasma Lipids: Potential for Prevention and Treatment of Hyperlipidaemias.- General Discussion.