In recent years, growing focus among consumers have shifted towards consumption of healthy, low-calorie, and nutritionally balanced foods containing dietary fibres. Dietary fibres are been categorized into 2 primary classes known as soluble fibre and insoluble fibre4.
| Soluble Fibre | Components | Insoluble Fibre |
| Oligosaccharides, including fructooligosaccharide (FOS), inulin, pectins, β-glucans (oat and barley grains), galactomannan gums, alginate, and psyllium4 | Types | Cellulose and some hemicelluloses, resistant starch, and lignin4 |
| Carrots, broccoli, onion, and artichokes, and fruits including bananas, berries, apples, and pears, as well as legumes, oats, and barley5 | Main sources | Whole grain, wheat, bran, nuts, and seeds, as well as in some fruits and vegetables5 |
| Water-soluble1 | Solubility | Water-insoluble1 |
| Viscous6 & gel-forming2 | Viscosity | Non-viscous & non gel-forming6 |
| Partially or totally fermented by colonic bacteria & produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)5 | Fermentability | Less fermented fibres, passes through the digestive tract intact1 No relevant effects on SCFA6 |
| Reduces postprandial glucose response (glycemic index)4 Lowers total and LDL cholesterol6 Increases food transit time, delays gastric emptying6 Improves the quality of gut microbiome2 | Major physiological effects | Shorten bowel transit time5 Improves laxation due to its bulking capacity3 |
References
1Dhingra, D., Michael, M., Rajput, H., & Patil, R. T. (2012). Dietary fibre in foods: a review. Journal Of Food Science And Technology, 49(3), 255-266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-011-0365-5
2Dong, Y., Chen, L., Gutin, B., & Zhu, H. (2018). Total, insoluble, and soluble dietary fibre intake and insulin resistance and blood pressure in adolescents. European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 73(8), 1172-1178. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0372-y
3Li, Y. O., & Komarek, A. R. (2017). Dietary fibre basics: Health, nutrition, analysis, and applications. Food Quality And Safety, 1(1), 47-59.
4Perry, J. R., & Ying, W. (2016). A Review of Physiological Effects of Soluble and Insoluble Dietary Fibres. Journal Of Nutrition & Food Sciences, 06(02). https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-9600.1000476
5Soliman, G. A. (2019). Dietary Fibre, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients, 11(5), 1155. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051155
6Weickert, M. O., & Pfeiffer, A. F. H (2018). Impact of Dietary Fibre Consumption on Insulin Resistance and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. The Journal Of Nutrition, 148(1), 7-12. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxx008
