The role of fibre in clinical nutrition
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Dietary fibre can be an important part of clinical nutritional care. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) recommends a fibre intake that is 25% soluble and 75% insoluble, a proportion that represents the types of fibre found in a solid diet containing wide varieties of food. For an enteral nutritional product that is used as the patient’s sole source of nutrition, a source of fibre provides a means of normalizing gastrointestinal function. Patients receiving a fibre-containing nutritional product will require less use of laxatives to address constipation, and will have significantly fewer incidence of diarrhoea. This is especially important in adult patients who require long term tube feeding. By maintaining the integrity of the structure of the gastrointestinal tract, fibre also can provide protection against mucosal atrophy and reduction in risk of infectious complications. Fermentable fibres further enhance the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract by serving as an energy source for beneficial bacteria that can help control pathogenic organisms. For infants and young children, fibre-containing products can also play a key role. Dietary fibre has been incorporated into infant feedings that are used to provide nutritional management of diarrhoeal episodes; fibre is also used in infant nutritional products that are intended to help address colicky symptoms. Fibre can be a key component of nutritional products, and provide significant advantages over non-fibre containing products. Overall, the importance of dietary fibre in clinical nutrition has been well established.