Library · Molecule
Dietary fiber
Make it clearer
Dietary fiber is a complex carbohydrate that comes from the parts that give structure to the plant foods we eat. It is usually divided into two groups: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.
What makes it special is what does not happen to it. Most definitions agree that it resists digestion in the small intestine: it does not break down there. Fiber crosses the small intestine like a sealed package that opens, partly or fully, in the colon. This is called fermentation, and it produces short-chain fatty acids.
The two groups behave differently. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel, something like gelatin, which makes the stomach empty more slowly; that is what slowing gastric emptying means. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve, and what it mainly does is add bulk to stool, like filler that takes up space.
In brief
Dietary fiber is a complex carbohydrate from the structural parts of plant foods; it is usually classified as soluble or insoluble.
By most definitions, it resists digestion in the small intestine and is partly or fully fermented in the large intestine, producing short-chain fatty acids.
Fiber crosses the small intestine like a sealed package.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel that slows gastric emptying; insoluble fiber does not dissolve and mainly adds bulk to stool.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingThe Role of Dietary Fiber in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: A Practical Guide for Clinicians, StatPearlsPublished
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