Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Center (LFoRCe).
Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2016;7:167-90. doi: 10.1146/annurev-food-081315-032749. Epub 2016 Jan 6.
This article reviews the current knowledge of the health effects of dietary fiber and prebiotics and establishes the position of prebiotics within the broader context of dietary fiber. Although the positive health effects of specific fibers on defecation, reduction of postprandial glycemic response, and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels are generally accepted, other presumed health benefits of dietary fibers are still debated. There is evidence that specific dietary fibers improve the integrity of the epithelial layer of the intestines, increase the resistance against pathogenic colonization, reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, increase mineral absorption, and have a positive impact on the immune system, but these effects are neither generally acknowledged nor completely understood. Many of the latter effects are thought to be particularly elicited by prebiotics. Although the prebiotic concept evolved significantly during the past two decades, the line between prebiotics and nonprebiotic dietary fiber remains vague. Nevertheless, scientific evidence demonstrating the health-promoting potential of prebiotics continues to accumulate and suggests that prebiotic fibers have their rightful place in a healthy diet.
本文综述了膳食纤维和益生元的健康效应，并在膳食纤维的更广泛背景下确立了益生元的地位。虽然特定纤维对排便、降低餐后血糖反应和维持正常血胆固醇水平的积极健康效应已被普遍接受，但膳食纤维的其他假定健康益处仍存在争议。有证据表明，特定膳食纤维可改善肠道上皮层的完整性，增加对病原定植的抵抗力，降低结直肠癌的发病风险，增加矿物质吸收，并对免疫系统产生积极影响，但这些影响既未得到普遍认可，也不完全被理解。人们认为，这些后效中的许多是特定益生元特别引起的。尽管益生元概念在过去二十年中发生了重大演变，但益生元和非益生元膳食纤维之间的界限仍然模糊。尽管如此，证明益生元具有促进健康潜力的科学证据仍在不断积累，并表明益生元纤维在健康饮食中占有一席之地。
