Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fiber, Carbohydrate, Glucose, Lipid Metabolism on Human Health and Nutritional Therapy

Abstract

The majority of diabetic and nutrition groups recommend a diet rich in dietary fibre (DF).  Soluble DF is known to have favourable effects on certain blood lipids, decrease the postprandial glucose response, and restrict macronutrient absorption due to its viscous and gel-forming characteristics.  While there appears to be no discernible difference in the regulation of body weight between soluble and insoluble DF consumption, the fermentation of naturally occurring high-fiber foods in the colon is mostly caused by soluble DF.  Nevertheless, prospective cohort studies have consistently linked insoluble cereal DF and whole grains—rather than soluble DF—to a lower risk of diabetes, indicating that additional, as-yet-unidentified mechanisms are probably at work.  New evidence suggests that DF consumption does more than just affect weight. It also improves insulin sensitivity, modifies the secretion of gut hormones, and affects metabolic and inflammatory markers linked to metabolic syndrome, among other surprising metabolic effects.  A common dietary strategy for improving hyperglycemia and diabetes is increasing consumption of dietary fibre, which consists of indigestible polysaccharides.  Dietary fibres like guar, inulin, cellulose, and pectin have been shown to regulate glucose metabolism, according to numerous studies.  Another new dietary fibre that reduces postprandial glycemia is an indigestible polysaccharide.  A lot of people are curious about how fibre affects carbohydrate metabolism because someone said that diabetes should be one of many Western diseases linked to not getting enough fibre. 1  Research on fiber's effects on diabetes has only served to fuel interest in this field.  Researchers Anderson and Ward3 and Kiehm et al.2 discovered that low-insulin diabetes patients' insulin needs were alleviated when they followed high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets.  No matter the insulin dosage, Jenkins et al.4,5 found that diabetics' glycosuria decreased when guar gum was added to their diet.  Miranda and Horwitz6 found that diabetics whose breads were high in cellulose had a more consistent glucose profile throughout the day.  Developing medications for diabetics that aim to change small-intestinal events became possible as a result of these investigations.  They also offered a chance to study and improve the overall glucose metabolism that came from these alterations.  Consequently, research into the physicochemical features that may influence glucose tolerance and the kinds of dietary fibre that may have the greatest impact on this area has been accelerated.