Dietary fibre in the management of diabetes mellitus: a review.

The role of nutritional habits in the emergence of certain diseases in the western world enhanced the interest in nutrition. As a consequence, the importance of what is now called dietary fibre has changed from an unnecessary constituent of plant food to an essential element of healthy nutrition. Several diabetes associations now advise including a defined amount of dietary fibre in an up-to-date dietary treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, there are still many controversies and unanswered questions. This paper reviews briefly the problems of definition and determination of dietary fibre. The possible mechanisms of action are discussed, and a survey of data in the literature that deal with the effect of long-term ingestion of increased amounts of dietary fibre on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, safety and applicability is presented.