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. 2020 Aug 24;12(9):2553.
doi: 10.3390/nu12092553.

Dietary Fibre Consensus from the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC)

Livia S A Augustin  1 , Anne-Marie Aas  2   3 , Arnie Astrup  4 , Fiona S Atkinson  5   6 , Sara Baer-Sinnott  7 , Alan W Barclay  8 , Jennie C Brand-Miller  5   6 , Furio Brighenti  9 , Monica Bullo  10   11   12 , Anette E Buyken  13 , Antonio Ceriello  14 , Peter R Ellis  15 , Marie-Ann Ha  16 , Jeyakumar C Henry  17 , Cyril W C Kendall  18   19   20 , Carlo La Vecchia  21 , Simin Liu  22 , Geoffrey Livesey  23 , Andrea Poli  24 , Jordi Salas-Salvadó  10   11 , Gabriele Riccardi  25 , Ulf Riserus  26 , Salwa W Rizkalla  27 , John L Sievenpiper  18   19   28   29 , Antonia Trichopoulou  30 , Katy Usic  31 , Thomas M S Wolever  18   19   28 , Walter C Willett  32 , David J A Jenkins  18   19   28   29
Affiliations

Dietary Fibre Consensus from the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC)

Livia S A Augustin et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Dietary fibre is a generic term describing non-absorbed plant carbohydrates and small amounts of associated non-carbohydrate components. The main contributors of fibre to the diet are the cell walls of plant tissues, which are supramolecular polymer networks containing variable proportions of cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectic substances, and non-carbohydrate components, such as lignin. Other contributors of fibre are the intracellular storage oligosaccharides, such as fructans. A distinction needs to be made between intrinsic sources of dietary fibre and purified forms of fibre, given that the three-dimensional matrix of the plant cell wall confers benefits beyond fibre isolates. Movement through the digestive tract modifies the cell wall structure and may affect the interactions with the colonic microbes (e.g., small intestinally non-absorbed carbohydrates are broken down by bacteria to short-chain fatty acids, absorbed by colonocytes). These aspects, combined with the fibre associated components (e.g., micronutrients, polyphenols, phytosterols, and phytoestrogens), may contribute to the health outcomes seen with the consumption of dietary fibre. Therefore, where possible, processing should minimise the degradation of the plant cell wall structures to preserve some of its benefits. Food labelling should include dietary fibre values and distinguish between intrinsic and added fibre. Labelling may also help achieve the recommended intake of 14 g/1000 kcal/day.

Keywords: ICQC; carbohydrate quality; consensus; dietary fibre; labelling.

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Conflict of interest statement

L.S.A.A. is a founding member of the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC) and has received honoraria from the Nutrition Foundation of Italy (NFI), research grants from LILT (a non-profit organization for the fight against cancer) and in-kind research support from Abiogen Pharma, the Almond Board of California (USA), Barilla (Italy), Consorzio Mandorle di Avola (Italy), DietaDoc (Italy), Ello Frutta (Italy), Panificio Giacomo Luongo (Italy), Perrotta (Italy), Roberto Alimentare (Italy), SunRice (Australia). A.A. is a project director at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, responsible for prevention of childhood obesity. He is in the Scientific Advisory Board/Consultant/Board of Directors of Gelesis, USA; Ferrero, Italy; Groupe Éthique et Santé, France; International Egg Commission/Danske Æg, Denmark; McCain Foods Limited, USA; Novo Nordisk, Denmark; Rituals, USA; and Weight Watchers, USA. A.W.B. is consultant at the University of Sydney and is Honorary Associate of the Glycemic Index Foundation, Allied Pinnacle, Beneo, and Nestle, and has authored/co-authored 5 books about dietary carbohydrate and diabetes. J.C.B.-M. is a co-author of books about the glycemic index of foods. She is President of the GI Foundation Limited, a non-profit company that administers the Australian ‘GI Symbol’ program and oversees the Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS), a non-profit GI testing facility for the food industry. She has received honoraria for speaking engagements on the glycemic index of foods. F.B.: declares no ownership or other investments-including shares-in commercial activities, intellectual property rights and consultancy/advice to private stakeholders. He served as Deputy-Chancellor for Research at the University of Parma from 2013 to 2017 and as representative of University of Parma of the Steering Board of ASTER, an in-house Public Research organization owned by Regione Emilia Romagna and research institutions of the region. Both positions involved coordination of activities with a large number of companies in order to attract European founds and develop Research and Innovation in the Emilia Romagna region. From 2011 to 2016 he served as legal representative (President) of the Italian Nutrition Society SINU–a not-for- profit scientific society. Associates to SINU include companies operating in the fields of nutrition, body composition, nutrition software, meal distribution and food production. Since 2017 he has been a Member of the Board of the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS). He is the spouse of Silvia Valtuena Martinez, MD, PhD, a Scientific Officer at the NDA Unit of the European Food Safety Authority, the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. A.E.B.: Member of the ILSI Europe Expert Group ‘Carbohydrates based recommendations as a basis for public dietary guidelines’ (coordinated by the Dietary Carbohydrates Task Force). Member of the Executive Committee of the German Nutrition Society (Guidelines Committee ‘Carbohydrate intake and prevention of nutrition-related diseases’, Guidelines Committee ‘Protein intake and prevention of nutrition-related diseases’, Head Section “Public Health Nutrition”). A.C.: is in the advisory board for BD (Beckton Dikinson), Eli Lilly, Mundipharma; gave lectures sponsored by Astra Zeneca, Berlin Chemie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Mundipharma, Novo Nordisk and Roche Diagnostics; and received research grants from Mitsubishi. P.R.E.: some of his almond studies were funded by the Almond Board of California. M.-A.H.: Director of East Anglia Food. J.C.H.: his Clinical Nutrition Research Centre conducts food and nutrition research for several companies including Beneo, Roquette, Tate and Lyle, Wilmar and Nestle. D.J.A.J.: has received research grants from Saskatchewan & Alberta Pulse Growers Associations, the Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program through the Pulse Research Network, the Advanced Foods and Material Network, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Unilever Canada and Netherlands, Barilla, the Almond Board of California, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Pulse Canada, Kellogg’s Company, Canada, Quaker Oats, Canada, Procter & Gamble Technical Centre Ltd., Bayer Consumer Care, Springfield, NJ, Pepsi/Quaker, International Nut & Dried Fruit (INC), Soy Foods Association of North America, the Coca-Cola Company (investigator initiated, unrestricted grant), Solae, Haine Celestial, the Sanitarium Company, Orafti, the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, the Peanut Institute, Soy Nutrition Institute (SNI), the Canola and Flax Councils of Canada, the Calorie Control Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)and the Ontario Research Fund (ORF). He has received in-kind supplies for trials as a research support from the Almond board of California, Walnut Council of California, American Peanut Council, Barilla, Unilever, Unico, Primo, Loblaw Companies, Quaker (Pepsico), Pristine Gourmet, Bunge Limited, Kellogg Canada, WhiteWave Foods. He has been on the speaker’s panel, served on the scientific advisory board and/or received travel support and/or honoraria from the Almond Board of California, Canadian Agriculture Policy Institute, Loblaw Companies Ltd, the Griffin Hospital (for the development of the NuVal scoring system), the Coca-Cola Company, EPICURE, Danone, Diet Quality Photo Navigation (DQPN), Better Therapeutics (FareWell), Verywell, True Health Initiative (THI), Heali AI Corp, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Soy Nutrition Institute (SNI), Herbalife Nutrition Institute (HNI), Saskatchewan & Alberta Pulse Growers Associations, Sanitarium Company, Orafti, the American Peanut Council, the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, the Peanut Institute, Herbalife International, Pacific Health Laboratories, Nutritional Fundamentals for Health (NFH), Barilla, Metagenics, Bayer Consumer Care, Unilever Canada and Netherlands, Solae, Kellogg, Quaker Oats, Procter & Gamble, Abbott Laboratories, Dean Foods, the California Strawberry Commission, Haine Celestial, PepsiCo, the Alpro Foundation, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, DuPont Nutrition and Health, Spherix Consulting and WhiteWave Foods, the Advanced Foods and Material Network, the Canola and Flax Councils of Canada, Agri-Culture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, Pulse Canada, the Soy Foods Association of North America, the Nutrition Foundation of Italy (NFI), Nutra-Source Diagnostics, the McDougall Program, the Toronto Knowledge Translation Group (St. Michael’s Hospital), the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS), the American Society of Nutrition (ASN), Arizona State University, Paolo Sorbini Foundation and the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes. He received an honorarium from the United States Department of Agriculture to present the 2013 W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecture. He received the 2013 Award for Excellence in Research from the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council. He received funding and travel support from the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism to produce mini cases for the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA). He is a member of the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC). His wife, Alexandra L Jenkins, is a director and partner of INQUIS Clinical Research for the Food Industry, his 2 daughters, Wendy Jenkins and Amy Jenkins, have published a vegetarian book that promotes the use of the foods described here, The Portfolio Diet for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction (Academic Press/Elsevier 2020 ISBN:978-0-12-810510-8)and his sister, Caroline Brydson, received funding through a grant from the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation to develop a cookbook for one of his studies. C.W.C.K.: has received grants/research support from Advanced Food Materials Network, Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada (AAFC), Almond Board of California, Barilla, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canola Council of Canada, International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, International Tree Nut Council Research and Education Foundation, Loblaw Brands Ltd, National Dried Fruit Trade Association, Pulse Canada, and Unilever; in-kind research support from the Almond Board of California, the American Peanut Council, Barilla, the California Walnut Commission, Danone, Kellogg Canada, Loblaw Companies, Nutrartis, Quaker (Pepsico), Primo, Unico, Unilever and Upfield; travel support/honoraria from the American Peanut Council, the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, the International Pasta Organization, Lantmannen, Oldways Preservation Trust, and the Peanut Institute. He has served on the scientific advisory board for the International Pasta Organization, McCormick Science Institute, Oldways Preservation Trust. He is a member of the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC), Executive Board Member of the Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group (DNSG) of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), is on the Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee for Nutrition Therapy of the EASD and is a Director of the Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials foundation. C.L.V.: serves on the scientific board of the ISA (International Sweeteners Association) and has received grants from Soremartec. S.L.: has received consulting payments and honoraria for scientific presentations or reviews at numerous venues, including but not limited to Barilla, Johns Hopkins University, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Harvard University, University of Buffalo, Guang Dong General Hospital and Academy of Medical Sciences, and the National Institutes of Health. He is also a member of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board for a trial of pulmonary hypertension in diabetes patients at Massachusetts General Hospital. He receives royalties from UpToDate. Liu receives an honorarium from the American Society of Nutrition for his duties as Associate Editor. G.L.: holds shares in Independent Nutrition Logic Ltd., a consultancy. He and his wife have benefitted from research grants, travel funding, consultant fees, and honoraria from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (USA), the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes (London, UK), Almond Board of California (USA), BENEO GmbH (DE), Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council (UK), British Nutrition Foundation(UK), Calorie Control Council (USA), Cantox (CA), Colloides Naturel International (FR), Coca Cola (UK), Danisco (UK & Singapore), Diabetes Nutrition Study Group (EASD, EU), DiabetesUK (UK), Elsevier Inc. (USA), European Commission (EU), European Polyol Association (Brussels), Eureka (UK), Food and Agricultural Organization (Rome), Granules India (Ind), General Mills (USA), Health Canada (CA), Institute of Food Research (UK), International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (CA), Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC), International Life Sciences Institute (EU & USA), Life Sciences Research Office, FASEB (USA), Nutrition Society of Australia, Knights Fitness (UK), Leatherhead Food Research (UK), LitghterLife (UK), Matsutani (JPN), Medical Research Council (UK), MSL Group (UK), Porter Novelli (UK), Sudzuker (DE), Sugar Nutrition/WSRO (UK), Tate & Lyle (UK), The Food Group (USA),WeightWatchers (UK),Wiley-Blackwell (UK).World Health Organization (Geneva). He is a member of the EASD Nutrition Guidelines Committee. PA: is the President of the Nutrition Foundation of Italy (NFI) a non-profit organization partially supported by Italian and non-Italian Food Companies. J.S.-S.: serves on the board of (and receives grant support through his institution from) the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council and the Eroski Foundation. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Instituto Danone, Spain, and on the Scientific Committee of the Danone International Institute. He has received research support from the Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero, Spain, and Borges S.A., Spain. He receives consulting fees or travel expenses from Danone, the Eroski Foundation, the Instituto Danone, Spain, and Abbot Laboratories. J.L.S.: has received research support from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Research Fund, Province of Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and Science, Canadian Institutes of health Research (CIHR), Diabetes Canada, PSI Foundation, Banting and Best Diabetes Centre (BBDC), American Society for Nutrition (ASN), INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation, National Dried Fruit Trade Association, National Honey Board, International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), The Tate and Lyle Nutritional Research Fund at the University of Toronto, The Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Fund at the University of Toronto (a fund established by the Alberta Pulse Growers), and the Nutrition Trialists Fund at the University of Toronto (a fund established by an inaugural donation from the Calorie Control Council). He has received in-kind food donations to support a randomized controlled trial from the Almond Board of California, California Walnut Commission, American Peanut Council, Barilla, Unilever, Upfield, Unico/Primo, Loblaw Companies, Quaker, Kellogg Canada, WhiteWave Foods, and Nutrartis. He has received travel support, speaker fees and/or honoraria from Diabetes Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada, FoodMinds LLC, International Sweeteners Association, Nestlé, Pulse Canada, Canadian Society for Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSEM), GI Foundation, Abbott, Biofortis, ASN, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, INC Nutrition Research & Education Foundation, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Comité Européen des Fabricants de Sucre (CEFS), and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. He has or has had ad hoc consulting arrangements with Perkins Coie LLP, Tate & Lyle, Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung Zucker e.V., and Inquis Clinical Research. He is a member of the European Fruit Juice Association Scientific Expert Panel and Soy Nutrition Institute (SNI) Scientific Advisory Committee. He is on the Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committees of Diabetes Canada, European Association for the study of Diabetes (EASD), Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), and Obesity Canada. He serves or has served as an unpaid scientific advisor for the Food, Nutrition, and Safety Program (FNSP) and the Technical Committee on Carbohydrates of ILSI North America. He is a member of the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC), Executive Board Member of the Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group (DNSG) of the EASD, and Director of the Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials foundation. His wife is an employee of AB InBev. T.M.S.W.: he and his wife are part owners and employees of INQUIS Clinical Research, Ltd. (formerly GI Labs), a contract research organization in Toronto, Canada. He has authored or co-authored several books on the glycemic index for which has received royalties from Philippa Sandall Publishing Services and CABI Publishers. He has received research support, consultant fees or honoraria from or served on the scientific advisory board for Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Diabetes Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, GI Labs, GI Testing, Abbott, Proctor and Gamble, Mars Foods, McCain Foods, Bunge, Temasek Polytechnic Singapore, Northwestern University, Royal Society of London, Glycemic Index Symbol program, CreaNutrition AG, McMaster University, University of Manitoba, University of Alberta, Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences, National Sports and Conditioning Association, Faculty of Public Health and Nutrition and Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). All other authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Carbohydrate components of a primary plant cell wall. A cartoon of the carbohydrate components of a primary plant cell wall demonstrating the supramolecular nature of the wall and the diversity of the cell wall constituents which contribute to dietary fibre. The cellulose microfibrils are composed of crystallites which are further composed of cellulose chains. The cellulose microfibrils are stacked upon one another to give strength as the skeleton of the wall. Hemicellulose is thought to keep the microfibrils apart. The nature of hemicellulose present varies considerably between plants. Pectin is a mega molecule, used for water transport throughout the plant. There are various different sections within pectin, the proportions vary between plants. The egg box region is shown here where different strands of pectin are bound together by calcium. There is a high concentration of pectins in the middle lamellae which interact with the neighbouring cell walls [4].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Surface of an almond seed post-mastication showing ruptured cell walls (dietary fibre). Micrograph, produced by scanning electron microscopy, of the surface of a masticated particle of almond seed. The cell walls (dietary fibre) have been ruptured (as marked by arrows) by chewing, exposing the nutrients inside the cells of the almond cotyledon tissue. Many of these cells still contain protein and lipid (oil bodies and coalesced oil droplets), which are potentially available for digestion (i.e., bioaccessible). Nutrients in intact cells below the fractured surface are not bioaccessible because the dietary fibre acts as a physical barrier to digestion. The scale bar is 30 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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