Dietary Fiber - Mechanism

Mechanism

Dietary fibers have three primary mechanisms: bulking, viscosity and fermentation. Dietary fibers can change the nature of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, and to change how other nutrients and chemicals are absorbed through bulking and viscosity. Some types of soluble fibers bind to bile acids in the small intestine, making them less likely to enter the body; this in turn lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. Viscous soluble fibers may also attenuate the absorption of sugar, reduces sugar response after eating, normalizes blood lipid levels and, once fermented in the colon, produce short-chain fatty acids as byproducts with wide-ranging physiological activities (discussion below). Insoluble fiber is associated with reduced diabetes risk, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. One type of insoluble dietary fiber, resistant starch has been shown to directly increase insulin sensitivity in healthy people, in type 2 diabetics, and in individuals with insulin resistance, possibly contributing to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Not yet formally proposed as an essential macro-nutrient, dietary fiber is nevertheless regarded as important for the diet, with regulatory authorities in many developed countries recommending increases in fiber intake.