Redefining Fiber

摘要

Increasing one's dietary fiber may be as simple as changing a definition. Prior to the 1970s, dietary fiber was primarily viewed as "roughage" and generally considered as a non-nutrient and unimportant in maintaining health. Fast-forward a decade or so and we see a marked increase in scientific information suggesting a change in this view. The scientific community has recanted its "no value" opinion and acknowledged that dietary fiber is a positive nutrient, a deficiency of which can lead to adverse health consequences. Moreover, in 1988, the Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health and the National Research Council's Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk concluded that there is a relationship between the consumption of certain forms of dietary fiber and the onset of certain types of chronic disease.