Dietary Fibre for Health and Gastrointestinal Therapeutic Applications: A Review

Abstract

Dietary fibre has been described as 'roughage' for many years, where it was often discarded as an unwanted mill by-product or combined into animal feed. As awareness of its beneficial role in the diet grew, it became increasingly regarded as a nutrient (family)—which could provide very significant health benefits in the gut and beyond. Transit through the digestive tract is supported by dietary fibre, as is a degree of regulation of other nutrient digestion/absorption and the provision of a fermentable substrate for the colonic microflora. However, not all fibre forms are equivalent, from either physicochemical or colonic fermentability perspectives. Apart from nutritional roles within food systems, dietary fibre is often used in supplements as a laxative. Most important in this respect is ispaghula (psyllium) husk, which is sold under many consumer health brand names. This review represents a 'walk-through' of dietary fibre(s) from food and clinical perspectives, with an inevitable focus on gut transit and constipation management.