Original title: Dietary fibre in Europe: current state of knowledge on definitions, sources, recommendations, intakes and relationships to health
Dietary fibreA broad group of food components whose properties and effects on health are studied. is a broad group of food components studied for their physical properties and effects on health. This review compares how countries define and measure fibre, set daily targets, and estimate how much people eat. It finds that fibre intakes are below recommendations in national surveys. The authors argue that advice should explain which types and food sources may support health, not just give a total amount.
Imagine following a recipe that says to add enough vegetables each day. The target amount is clear, but the recipe does not say which vegetables to choose, and people may still eat less than the target. In this paper, the daily amount is the fibre recommendation, while the missing recipe details are advice about which fibre types and food sources to choose.
People may know they should eat more fibre without knowing which foods or fibre types to choose. This review finds that survey data show intakes fall short of recommendations, while guidance on preferred types remains rare.
The abstract does not report specific intake figures, name particular fibre types or foods to recommend, or establish that any one type prevents a disease. It identifies research gaps and calls for more evidence to support detailed public advice.
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Dietary fibre in Europe: current state of knowledge on definitions, sources, recommendations, intakes and relationships to health — Alison M. Stephen, Martine M. J. Champ, Susan Cloran et al. — Nutrition Research Reviews — doi:10.1017/s095442241700004x
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.