Trowell H
Am J Clin Nutr. 1978 Oct;31(10 Suppl):S3-S11. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/31.10.S3.
Fundamental studies of the laxative action of wheat bran were undertaken in the United States in the early decades of the 20th century. Walker in South Africa extended these studies among African blacks and later suggested that cereal fiber protected them against certain metabolic disorders. Trowell in Uganda elaborated this concept with regard to the rarity of common noninfective diseases of the colon. Another stream of inquiry stemmed from the hypothesis of Cleave who postulated that the presence of refined sugar, and to a lesser extent white flour, caused many metabolic diseases, while the loss of fiber caused certain colonic disorders. Meanwhile Burkitt had collected massive evidence of the rarity of appendicitis and many venous disorders in rural Africa and parts of Asia. In 1972 Trowell proposed a new physiological definition of fiber in terms of the residue of plant foods that resisted digestion by alimentary enzymes of man. Southgate has proposed chemical methods to analyze the components of dietary fiber: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.
20世纪初几十年间，美国开展了对麦麸通便作用的基础研究。南非的沃克将这些研究扩展到非洲黑人中，后来提出谷物纤维可保护他们免受某些代谢紊乱之害。乌干达的特罗韦尔针对结肠常见非感染性疾病的罕见情况详细阐述了这一概念。另一系列研究源于克利夫的假说，他假定精制糖的存在，以及程度稍轻的白面粉，会引发许多代谢疾病，而纤维的缺失会导致某些结肠疾病。与此同时，伯基特收集了大量证据，证明非洲农村和亚洲部分地区阑尾炎和许多静脉疾病发病率很低。1972年，特罗韦尔根据人体消化酶无法消化的植物性食物残渣，提出了纤维的新生理学定义。索思盖特提出了分析膳食纤维成分（纤维素、半纤维素和木质素）的化学方法。
