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. 2016 Jan 15;7(1):1-4.
doi: 10.3945/an.115.010546. Print 2016 Jan.

Prebiotics, Fermentable Dietary Fiber, and Health Claims

Jan A Delcour  1 , Per Aman  2 , Christophe M Courtin  3 , Bruce R Hamaker  4 , Kristin Verbeke  3
Affiliations

Prebiotics, Fermentable Dietary Fiber, and Health Claims

Jan A Delcour et al. Adv Nutr. .

Abstract

Since the 1970s, the positive effects of dietary fiber on health have increasingly been recognized. The collective term "dietary fiber" groups structures that have different physiologic effects. Since 1995, some dietary fibers have been denoted as prebiotics, implying a beneficial physiologic effect related to increasing numbers or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota. Given the complex composition of the microbiota, the demonstration of such beneficial effects is difficult. In contrast, an exploration of the metabolites of dietary fiber formed as a result of its fermentation in the colon offers better perspectives for providing mechanistic links between fiber intake and health benefits. Positive outcomes of such studies hold the promise that claims describing specific health benefits can be granted. This would help bridge the "fiber gap"-that is, the considerable difference between recommended and actual fiber intakes by the average consumer.

Keywords: colon; fiber; health claims; microbiome; prebiotics; short chain fatty acids.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author disclosures: JA Delcour, P Aman, CM Courtin, BR Hamaker, and K Verbeke, no conflicts of interest. JAD and KV are holders of the WK Kellogg Chair in Cereal Science and Nutrition at KU Leuven.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Example of a nutrition facts label (Kellogg’s All Bran Original) showing daily values for a dietary fiber intake of 25 or 30 g depending on total daily calorie intake. Used with permission from Kellogg’s.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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