Department of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, Cork University Hospital, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Ireland.
Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2011 Feb;25(1):119-26. doi: 10.1016/j.bpg.2011.01.003.
For centuries, fiber has been recommended on an empirical basis for the management of constipation; it has only been in recent decades that the mechanisms whereby fiber and related products may influence colonic function have begun to be elucidated. The interaction between fiber and the microbiota of the human colon appears to play a major role in generating the beneficial effects of fiber. The microbiota is also the target for the other therapeutic interventions discussed in this chapter: prebiotics and probiotics. While a scientific basis for a role for these approaches in the management of constipation continues to develop, evidence from high-quality clinical trials to support their use in daily practice continues to lag far behind. While benefits for fiber and, perhaps, for certain prebiotic and probiotic preparations in constipation appear to be extant there is a real need for large well-conducted clinical trials in this important area of human medicine.
几个世纪以来，膳食纤维一直被推荐用于治疗便秘，只是在最近几十年，膳食纤维和相关产品可能影响结肠功能的机制才开始被阐明。纤维与人类结肠微生物群之间的相互作用似乎在产生纤维的有益效果方面发挥着主要作用。微生物群也是本章讨论的其他治疗干预措施的目标：益生元和益生菌。虽然这些方法在治疗便秘中的作用的科学依据仍在不断发展，但支持其在日常实践中应用的高质量临床试验证据仍远远落后。虽然膳食纤维，以及某些益生元和益生菌制剂在便秘中的益处似乎是存在的，但在这个重要的人类医学领域，确实需要进行大型、精心设计的临床试验。
