Dietary fibre (DF) has many positive effects on human health associated with its functionality in the gastrointestinal tract. These benefits vary according to the type of DF. Vegetables can be a ...natural source of DF in the diet. However, to provide adequate nutritional advice, the content and profile of their various DF types must be characterised. This study aimed to determine the DF profile of 29 vegetables cultivated in Wallonia (Belgium) and the impact of steaming on these profiles. Using a combination of enzymatic, gravimetric and chromatographic methods, fructans, total dietary fibre (TDF), low- and high-molecular-weight soluble dietary fibre (SDF), and insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) were analysed. Results show that the DF content varies considerably among the 29 investigated vegetable varieties and species, but the influence of steaming is limited to a shift from IDF to high-molecular-weight SDF for 18 of the 29 tested vegetables, while fructans are preserved with not actual reduction in the DP.
Cancer is a leading cause of disease burden in Australia, particularly fatal burden, accounting for an estimated thirty percent of deaths. Many cancers develop because of exposure to lifestyle and ...environmental factors that are potentially modifiable. We aimed to quantify the proportions and numbers of cancer deaths and cases in Australia in 2013 attributable to 20 modifiable factors in eight broad groupings that are established causes of cancer, namely: tobacco smoke (smoking and second‐hand), dietary factors (low intake of fruit, non‐starchy vegetables and dietary fibre; and high intake of red and processed meat), overweight/obesity, alcohol, physical inactivity, solar ultraviolet radiation, infections (seven agents), and reproductive factors (lack of breastfeeding, menopausal hormone therapy use, combined oral contraceptive use). We estimated population attributable fractions (PAF) using standard formulae incorporating exposure prevalence and relative risk data. Of all cancer deaths in Australia in 2013, approximately 38% overall (males 41%, females 34%) could be attributed to the factors assessed; the corresponding PAF for cancer cases was 33% (males 34%, females 32%). Tobacco smoke was the leading cause of cancer deaths and cases, with PAFs of 23 and 13%, respectively, followed by dietary factors (5% deaths/5% cases), overweight/obesity (5%/4%) and infections (5%/3%). Cancer sites with the highest numbers of potentially preventable deaths/cases were lung (n = 6,776/9,272), colorectum (n = 1,974/7,380) and cutaneous melanoma (n = 1,390/7,918). We estimate that about 16,700 cancer deaths and 41,200 cancer cases could be prevented in Australia each year if people's exposures to 20 causal factors were aligned with levels recommended to minimise cancer risk.
What's new?
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia. Yet many of these deaths could be prevented if known causes were avoided. In this study, the authors estimated the number and fraction of cancer deaths and cancer cases in Australia attributable to modifiable factors. They found that 38% of all cancer deaths and 33% of cancer cases could be attributed to 20 factors. Tobacco smoke was the leading cause of cancer death, followed by dietary factors, overweight/obesity, infections and solar ultraviolet radiation.
The unfermentable nature of cellulose limits its physiological benefits as a dietary fibre. Recently, we drastically increased the fermentability of microcrystalline cellulose by human colon ...microbiota by reducing its crystallinity and polymer chain length (Thielemans et al., 2023). Here, the techno-functional impact of incorporating amorphised cellulose, depolymerised cellulose and amorphised depolymerised cellulose on bread making is investigated. Microcrystalline cellulose and its modified counterparts could be incorporated into bread at a 5 w/w% substitution level without significant volume losses. At a 20 w/w% substitution level, microcrystalline cellulose incorporation caused a loss of 36.4 ± 2.9% in bread loaf volume, while depolymerised celluloses reduced bread volume much less (16.2 ± 1.9%). In-depth characterisation of cellulose samples and 1H NMR and rheological measurements on bread dough revealed that the modified celluloses affected the water balance and gluten hydration in dough less than microcrystalline cellulose. These results complement insights on the importance of water-insoluble dietary fibre structure and hydration behaviour on bread (dough) quality.
Display omitted
•Milling and acid hydrolysis impact the hydration properties of cellulose•Cellulose hydration properties impact the quality of cellulose-enriched bread dough•Cellulose displaying low water retention is promising for fibre-enriched bread
Summary
Wholegrains are a rich source of phytochemicals, dietary fibre, complex carbohydrate, proteins, minerals, lipids and vitamins that may have the tendency to increase heath beyond the simple ...provision of nutrition and energy. They are highly nutritive due to their balanced amino acid profile and other macro‐ and micronutrient composition. It is considered well‐balanced diet having functional characteristics that have shown to possess medicinal benefits. The inverse relation between consumption of wholegrains and the reduced risk of chronic diseases and metabolic syndromes are reported in several studies. The consumption of wholegrains is on the rise due to the growing health‐conscious populace and health‐promoting components support the dietary consumption of wholegrains and their products. Accordingly, the conclusive evaluation of wholegrains and the human intervention studies conducted for the whole grain intake, and the inference that the wholegrains, functional properties and the health outcomes associated with wholegrains are discussed.
Wholegrains are a rich source of amino acids, minerals and bioactive components. Whole grain consumption is associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases. The majority of health‐related compounds in wholegrains are concentrated in the germ and bran that are discarded during the production of white flour.
Seaweeds have been used since ancient times as food, mainly by Asian countries, while in Western countries, their main application has been as gelling agents and colloids for the food, ...pharmaceuticals, and the cosmetic industry. Seaweeds are a good source of nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Polyphenols, polysaccharides, and sterols, as well as other bioactive molecules, are mainly responsible for the healthy properties associated with seaweed. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic properties are attributed to these compounds. If seaweeds are compared to terrestrial plants, they have a higher proportion of essential fatty acids as eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids. In addition, there are several secondary metabolites that are synthesized by algae such as terpenoids, oxylipins, phlorotannins, volatile hydrocarbons, and products of mixed biogenetic origin. Therefore, algae can be considered as a natural source of great interest, since they contain compounds with numerous biological activities and can be used as a functional ingredient in many technological applications to obtain functional foods.
Dietary starches are important sources of energy for many human societies and it is clear that they can also make quite specific contributions to health. Resistant starch has received much attention ...for both its potential health benefits (similar to soluble fibre) and functional properties. Resistant starch positively influences the functioning of the digestive tract, microbial flora, the blood cholesterol level, the glycemic index and assists in the control of diabetes. Apart from the potential health benefits of resistant starch, another positive advantage is its lower impact on the sensory properties of food compared with traditional sources of fibre, as whole grains, fruits or bran. Among its desirable physicochemical properties are its swelling capacity, viscosity, gel formation and water-binding capacity, which make it useful in a variety of foods. In this review, we discuss different types of resistant starch, food sources, and potential health benefits and food applications of resistant starch.
Health benefits associated with dietary fibre consumption have shifted its applications towards inclusions into food products. This work aimed at exploring the influence of adding pineapple peel ...powder (PPP) as a fibre source on physicochemical, textural, rheological, and microstructural attributes of probiotic yogurt during refrigerated storage for 28 days. Skim milk with or without PPP or inulin as a control was fermented by yogurt cultures with or without addition of the probiotic cultures consisting of Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC® 4356™), Lactobacillus casei (ATCC® 393™) and Lactobacillus paracasei spp. paracasei (ATCC® BAA52™). PPP supplementation at 1% remarkably reduced fermentation time of milk co-fermented with probiotic organisms. Syneresis level in probiotic yogurt with PPP (1.16% at day 1) was comparable with the prebiotic-inulin and increased during storage. However, firmness and storage modulus in both plain and probiotic yogurts were lowered significantly with PPP addition. The reported information on physicochemical and structural attributes of probiotic yogurts with PPP could guide the dairy industry to utilize pineapple peel discarded as processing waste to close the fibre gap by developing a new synbiotic product with comparable attributes to inulin, a commercial prebiotic.
Display omitted
•Pineapple peel employed as an underutilized source of dietary fibre.•Pineapple peel powder fortification reduced yogurt-making time.•Pineapple peel powder addition to yogurt lowered firmness and storage modulus.•Probiotic inclusion in culture altered yogurt attributes.•Firmness and storage modulus increased during 28 days cold storage.
The
(L.) (OFI) is used as a nutritional and pharmaceutical agent in various dietary and value added products. This study underlines the possible use of native prickly pear cladode powder as a ...functional ingredient for health-promoting food production. To summarise, chemical characterization of polyphenols, minerals and soluble dietary fibre was performed; furthermore, the antioxidant activity and bioaccessibility of polyphenols and minerals were assessed. Eleven compounds between phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified, with piscidic acid and isorhamnetin derivatives being the most abundant.
dietary fibre was mainly constituted of mucilage and pectin, and was composed of arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, and xylose sugars. The polyphenols' bioaccessibility was very high: piscidic acid at 200%, eucomic and ferulic acids >110% and flavonoids from 89% to 100%. The prickly pear cladode powder is also a source of minerals, as cations (calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium) and anions (sulphate and chloride), with high magnesium bioaccessibilty (93%). OFI powder showed good capacity of radical scavenging measured by DPPH and ABTS methods, with 740 and 775 μmol Trolox/100 g OFI, respectively. Finally, the presented results allow the consideration of this natural product as a source of several essential nutrients, with a possible use in the food industry as a functional ingredient.
Gut microbiota and its metabolites have been shown to influence multiple physiological mechanisms related to human health. Among microbial metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are modulators ...of different metabolic pathways. On the other hand, several studies suggested that diet might influence gut microbiota composition and activity thus modulating the risk of metabolic disease, i.e. obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Among dietary component, dietary fibre may play a pivotal role by virtue of its prebiotic effect on fibre-fermenting bacteria, that may increase SCFA production. The aim of this review was to summarize and discuss current knowledge on the impact of dietary fibre as modulator of the relationship between glucose metabolism and microbiota composition in humans. More specifically, we analysed evidence from observational studies and randomized nutritional intervention investigating the relationship between gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids and glucose metabolism. The possible mechanisms behind this association were also discussed.
Health-promoting dietary fibre including inulin often triggers gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBS, limiting their intake. Our aim was to test if coadministering psyllium with inulin would ...reduce gas production.
A randomised, four-period, four-treatment, placebo-controlled, crossover trial in 19 patients with IBS. Subjects ingested a 500 mL test drink containing either inulin 20 g, psyllium 20 g, inulin 20 g+ psyllium 20 g or dextrose 20 g (placebo). Breath hydrogen was measured every 30 min with MRI scans hourly for 6 hours. Faecal samples from a subset of the patients with IBS were tested using an
fermentation model. Primary endpoint was colonic gas assessed by MRI.
Colonic gas rose steadily from 0 to 6 hours, with inulin causing the greatest rise, median (IQR) AUC
3145 (848-6502) mL·min. This was significantly reduced with inulin and psyllium coadministration to 618 (62-2345) mL·min (p=0.02), not significantly different from placebo. Colonic volumes AUC
were significantly larger than placebo for both inulin (p=0.002) and inulin and psyllium coadministration (p=0.005). Breath hydrogen rose significantly from 120 min after inulin but not psyllium; coadministration of psyllium with inulin delayed and reduced the maximum increase, AUC
from 7230 (3255-17910) ppm·hour to 1035 (360-4320) ppm·hour, p=0.007.Fermentation
produced more gas with inulin than psyllium. Combining psyllium with inulin did not reduce gas production.
Psyllium reduced inulin-related gas production in patients with IBS but does not directly inhibit fermentation. Whether coadministration with psyllium increases the tolerability of prebiotics in IBS warrants further study.
NCT03265002.