Perspective: Assessing Tolerance to Nondigestible Carbohydrate Consumption

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Human Nutrition
• Microbiology

Background:

• Nondigestible carbohydrates (NDCs) are not digested by human enzymes but fermented by gut microbiota.
• NDCs offer health benefits (e.g., laxation, cholesterol/glucose lowering) and functional properties in foods (e.g., bulking, texture).
• Despite benefits, NDCs can cause gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and flatulence, impacting consumer acceptance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide recommendations for assessing gastrointestinal tolerance to NDCs.
• To guide food product development and clinical trial design for NDC ingredients.
• To address special considerations for pediatric studies and stakeholder implications.

Main Methods:

• Focus on study design elements: population criteria, intervention, comparator, and outcome measures.
• Recommends randomized, blinded, controlled crossover studies for robust tolerance evaluation.
• Emphasizes the use of standard gastrointestinal questionnaires and consideration of participant factors (diet, health, lifestyle, medications).

Main Results:

• Standardized methodologies are crucial for accurately assessing NDC tolerance.
• Controlled studies minimize bias and allow for reliable interpretation of tolerance data.
• Comprehensive assessment considers individual participant variability.

Conclusions:

• Proper evaluation of gastrointestinal tolerance is essential for the successful incorporation of NDCs into food products.
• Well-designed studies ensure consumer well-being and facilitate the realization of NDC health benefits.
• Adherence to recommended methodologies supports informed decision-making for food manufacturers and researchers.