Soluble fiber polysaccharides: effects on plasma cholesterol and colonic fermentation

Many soluble-fiber polysaccharides, used as stabilizers and thickeners by the food industry, lower plasma cholesterol and slow small intestinal transit and nutrient absorption. Although nondigestible by human enzymes, these polysaccharides are fermented by the large-bowel microflora, yielding short-chain fatty acids that are absorbed and contribute to energy. The caloric yield from fiber polysaccharides needs to be quantified. Short-chain fatty acid production from soluble fibers is modified by the presence of insoluble fibers but, in total, is probably less than from other carbohydrates, e.g., resistant starch. Short-chain fatty acids do not seem to mediate effects of fiber on plasma cholesterol, but in the large bowel they exert the trophic and antineoplastic effects of dietary fiber. The mechanism for cholesterol reduction by soluble fibers relates to enhanced steroid excretion and altered fat absorption and may be a function of the viscosity of these fibers in solution. The relationships between the chemical structure of soluble polysaccharides and their documented physiologic effects are not yet clear. By using polysaccharides of defined structure and properties, it should be possible to identify those characteristics that predict physiologic actions.