Dietary Fiber and Metabolism

Abstract A healthy diet rich in dietary fiber (DF) is considered beneficial for human health, and recommended dietary intake of dietary fiber is established all over the world. The physiological effect of dietary fiber is mostly related to its behavior during digestion. In this chapter, the behavior of dietary fiber in the human digestive tract is discussed and linked to its physiological effect with special attention to four aspects of such behavior: (1) the modulation of bioavailability by the plant cell walls, (2) the effect of dietary fiber on the rheological and colloidal state of digesta, (3) the binding of dietary fiber with phenolic compounds, bile salts, mineral ions, and digestive enzymes, and (4) dietary fiber fermentation in the large intestine and the corresponding effect on microbiota composition.