The intake of dietary indigestible fraction in the spanish diet shows the limitations of dietary fibre data for nutritional studies

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To compare the intakes of dietary fibre (DF) and dietary indigestible fraction (DIF) in the Spanish diet and also to show the limitations of DF values for nutritional and

epidemiological studies. DESIGN: This includes the following: (i) estimation of plant foods consumption in Spanish diet from national food consumption data obtained from annual surveys

(6000 households, 700 hotels and restaurants and 200 institutions); (ii) determination of DIF content in plant foods using analytical methods that mimic physiological conditions; (iii)

estimation of daily intakes of DIF and DF in the Spanish diet. RESULTS: DIF intake in the Spanish population was estimated at 41.5 g/person/day. DF intake (18.3 g/person/day) was

considerably lower than the amount of carbohydrate necessary to maintain the daily bacterial cell turnover in large intestine (‘carbohydrate gap’). The differences between DIF and DF values

are a consequence of conceptual and methodological aspects. DIF, as the part of foods reaching the colon, comprises not only DF but also other indigestible compounds such as a fraction of

resistant starch, protein, polyphenols and other associated compounds. Analytical conditions are closer to actual physiological conditions in the determination of DIF than in DF analysis.

CONCLUSIONS: DF intake underestimates a major part of the dietary substrates that enter the colon. DIF intake more closely matches the amount of substrates needed to maintain a typical human

colonic microflora. DIF may be a good alternative to DF for nutritional and epidemiological studies. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription

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ASSOCIATED WITH ANIMAL SOURCE ENERGY PERCENTAGE IN CHILDREN’S DIETS Article Open access 27 May 2025 DIETARY FIBRE IN GASTROINTESTINAL HEALTH AND DISEASE Article 18 November 2020 DIETARY

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AFFILIATIONS * Department of Metabolism and Nutrition. Instituto del Frio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain F D Saura-Calixto * Department of Nutrition, Facultad

de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain I Goñi Authors * F D Saura-Calixto View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * I Goñi

View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS _Guarantor_: F Saura-Calixto. _Contributors_: Both authors have contributed to the design

and development of the study, interpretation of data and writing the manuscript. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to F D Saura-Calixto. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Saura-Calixto, F., Goñi, I. The intake of dietary indigestible fraction in the Spanish diet shows the limitations of dietary fibre data for nutritional

studies. _Eur J Clin Nutr_ 58, 1078–1082 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601937 Download citation * Received: 31 July 2003 * Revised: 29 October 2003 * Accepted: 13 November 2003 *

Published: 28 June 2004 * Issue Date: 01 July 2004 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601937 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this

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KEYWORDS * dietary indigestible fraction * dietary fibre * dietary intakes * carbohydrate gap * Spanish diet