CARBOHYDRATES | Dietary Fiber Measured as Nonstarch Polysaccharides in Plant Foods

Analytical values for non-starch polysaccharide(s) (NSP) in plant foods are a good marker of a fiber-rich diet in the form of fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals as recommended in dietary guidelines. Consequently NSP intrinsic to plant cell walls is the principal component in all definitions of dietary fiber. Focus on ‘intrinsic’ emphasizes the importance of source, as food matrix and companion micronutrients are key factors in the benefit to health of a natural fiber-rich diet. A methodology for the measurement of NSP as the sum of constituent sugars measured by chromatography or colorimetry is presented.