UCL Division of Medicine, 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom.
University of Suffolk, Life Sciences, Ipswich, IP4 1QJ, United Kingdom.
Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2023 Jun;55:340-356. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.04.014. Epub 2023 Apr 19.
Low molecular weight (LMW) non-digestible carbohydrates (namely, oligosaccharides and inulin) are accepted as dietary fibre in many countries worldwide. The inclusion of oligosaccharides as dietary fibre was made optional within the Codex Alimentarius definition in 2009, which has caused great controversy. Inulin is accepted as dietary fibre by default, due to being a non-digestible carbohydrate polymer. Oligosaccharides and inulin occur naturally in numerous foods and are frequently incorporated into commonly consumed food products for a variety of purposes, such as to increase dietary fibre content. LMW non-digestible carbohydrates, due to their rapid fermentation in the proximal colon, may cause deleterious effects in individuals with functional bowel disorders (FBDs) and, as such, are excluded on the low FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and polyols) diet and similar protocols. Their addition to food products as dietary fibre allows the use of associated nutrition/health claims, causing a paradox for those with FBDs, which is further complicated by lack of clarity on food labelling. Therefore, this review aimed to discuss whether the inclusion of LMW non-digestible carbohydrates within the Codex definition of dietary fibre is warranted. This review provides justification for the exclusion of oligosaccharides and inulin from the Codex definition of dietary fibre. LMW non-digestible carbohydrates could, instead, be placed in their own category as prebiotics, recognised for their specific functional properties, or considered food additives, whereby they are not promoted for being beneficial for health. This would preserve the concept of dietary fibre being a universally beneficial dietary component for all individuals.
低分子量（LMW）不可消化碳水化合物（即低聚糖和菊粉）在世界上许多国家被接受为膳食纤维。2009 年，《食品法典》将低聚糖作为膳食纤维的纳入是可选的，这引起了很大的争议。由于是不可消化的碳水化合物聚合物，菊粉默认被接受为膳食纤维。低聚糖和菊粉天然存在于许多食物中，并经常被添加到常用的食品中，以增加膳食纤维的含量。由于 LMW 不可消化碳水化合物在近端结肠中迅速发酵，可能对功能性肠病（FBD）患者产生有害影响，因此在低 FODMAP（可发酵寡糖、双糖和多元醇）饮食和类似方案中被排除在外。它们作为膳食纤维添加到食品中，可以使用相关的营养/健康声明，这对 FBD 患者来说是一个悖论，而且食品标签不明确，使情况更加复杂。因此，本综述旨在讨论在《食品法典》膳食纤维定义中包含 LMW 不可消化碳水化合物是否合理。本综述为将低聚糖和菊粉排除在《食品法典》膳食纤维定义之外提供了理由。LMW 不可消化碳水化合物可以作为益生菌放在自己的类别中，因其特定的功能特性而得到认可，或者被视为食品添加剂，这样就不会因其对健康有益而被推广。这将保留膳食纤维作为所有个体普遍有益的膳食成分的概念。
