Dietary Fiber and Health

Adequate fiber in the diet is essential for maintaining gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health and for weight management and glycemic control. But a majority of people in developed countries fall short of their recommended daily intake. Designed for product developers, nutritionists, dietitians, and regulatory agencies, Dietary Fiber and Health discusses critical findings from the Ninth Vahouny Fiber Symposium about the significance of dietary fiber and ways to get more fiber in our diet.

Steeped in research and the latest data from international experts, the book explores a range of topics related to this essential nutrient, including:

• The relationship between fiber and weight management, gastrointestinal health, heart disease, cancer, and glucose metabolism
• Prebiotic effects of fiber and the characteristics and modulation of healthy flora
• The health benefits of novel fibers such as inulin
• The characteristics of maltodextrin, Fibersol-2, and low viscous fiber on satiety, glycemia, microbiota, and other properties
• The impact of the new definition of dietary fiber published by the Codex Alimentarius Commission
• The properties and immunological impact of Galactooligosaccharide and research on its effect on colitis
• Resistant starch and associated compounds
• Oat, rye, barley, and other fibers
• Regulatory issues, including GRAS notice procedure

It is imperative that food product developers formulate foods with fiber and that health professionals recommend foods high in fiber to improve public health. The contributors to this volume provide a survey of not only the impact of fiber on human health, but also the myriad opportunities for fiber ingredients to be incorporated into foods for the benefit of consumers.

Reflections on 30 Years of the Vahouny Fiber Symposia. Discussions Relating to the Definition of Dietary Fiber at the Ninth Vahouny Fiber Symposium. Implementation Issues of the Codex Definition of Dietary Fiber. Regulations for the Food Labeling of Dietary Fiber. Resistant Starch. Measurement Techniques for Insulin Sensitivity. Consumption of Total Fiber and Types of Fiber Are Associated with a Lower Prevalence of Obesity and Abdominal Adiposity in U.S. Adults. Fiber and Satiety. Viscous Dietary Fiber Reduces Adiposity and Plasma Adipokines and Increases Gene Expression Related to Fat Oxidation in Rats. Epidemiological Studies of Dietary Fiber and Cardiovascular Disease. Fasting Glucose Turnover But Not Peripheral Insulin Resistance Is Reduced after Acetogenic and Non-Digestible Carbohydrate Ingestion in Metabolic Syndrome Patients. Assessing Immune Health Outcomes following Dietary Interventions in Healthy Adults. Inulin, Gut Microbes, and Health. Digesta Viscosity and Glucose Behavior in the Small Intestine Lumen. Manipulating Dietary Intake of Poorly Absorbed and Fermentable Short-Chain Carbohydrates (FOD MAPs). Colonic Metabolism of Bioactive Molecules. Impact of a Low Viscous Fiber on Postprandial and Fasting Glycemia. Essentiality and Beneficial Physiological Effects of Dietary Fiber. Fecal Microbiota Composition Is Affected by Resistant Maltodextrin, and Bifidobacteria Counts Correlate with Energy Gain. Resistant Maltodextrin Overview. Rice Bran Fiber. Hypoglycemic Effects of Oat β-Glucan. Oat Fiber. Sugarcane Fiber. Galactooligosaccharides. Physiochemical Properties of Wheat Bran and Related Application Challenges. Pectin. Fruit Fibers. Fig Fruit By-Products (Ficus carica) as a Source of Dietary Fiber. Tiger Nut Fiber and Its Technological Applications in Meat Products. Technological Properties of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Peel Extract Obtained as Coproduct in the Juice Processing. Mechanisms by Which Resistant Starch Produces Gut Hormones and Reduces Body Fat. Resistant Starch Content of Brown Rice Increases after Refrigeration in Selected Varieties. Acacia Gum. Nondigestible Saccharide Enhances Transcellular Transport of Myricetin Glycosides in Rat Small Intestine. Efficacy and Safety of Xylooligosaccharides. Appendix. Index.

Susan Cho is a well-known expert in dietary fiber research. The former Director of Nutrition at Kellogg, she currently runs her own consulting firm, NutraSource. Dr. Cho also manages the prestigious Vahouny Fiber Symposium. She earned a Ph.D. in Food Science and an M.S. in Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.