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Fiber, inulin and oligofructose: similarities and differences
1Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
The Journal of Nutrition
|July 8, 1999
Summary
Dietary fructans, similar to dietary fiber, impact gut health. They are fermented in the large intestine, increasing microbial mass and short-chain fatty acids, but offer modest effects on blood sugar and cholesterol.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Gastroenterology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Dietary fibers possess properties like water dispersibility, bulk, viscosity, and fermentability, influencing gut physiology and metabolic health.
- Dietary fructans share some properties with dietary fibers, suggesting potential similar metabolic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the physiological actions and metabolic implications of dietary fructans based on their properties.
- To compare the effects of fructans with other dietary fibers in the small and large intestines.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the physical and chemical properties of dietary fibers and fructans.
- Review of existing evidence on the physiological actions of these compounds in the gastrointestinal tract.
Main Results:
- In the small intestine, fiber properties like viscosity slow digestion and absorption, aiding cholesterol reduction and blunting glycemia.
- Fructans, while dispersible and bulky, lack significant viscosity, suggesting modest effects on glycemia and cholesterol.
- In the large intestine, fermentable carbohydrates increase microbial mass and short-chain fatty acid production.
Conclusions:
- Dietary fructans are fermented in the large intestine, promoting gut health through increased microbial activity and SCFA production.
- Their limited viscosity suggests a more modest impact on immediate metabolic markers like blood glucose and cholesterol compared to viscous fibers.