Let food be your medicine - dietary fiber

Abstract

Dietary fiber (DF) cannot be digested and absorbed by the digestive tract, nor can it provide the energy needed to be burned for metabolic activities. Therefore, from the 1950s to the 1980s, dietary fiber received little attention in nutrition for part of the 20th century. With the deep research and development of nutrition in the world, people gradually pay attention to the fact that DF occupies an essential position in the structure of nutrition, and it can ensure the healthy development of human beings. As early as 390 B.C., the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates proposed, "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." This concept has been more systematically validated in modern scientific research, with numerous epidemiological studies showing that dietary intake of DF-rich foods such as whole grains, root vegetables, legumes, and fruits has the potential to regulate the balance of gut microbiota and thereby prevent diseases. However, the crosstalk between different types of DF and gut microbiota is quite complex, and the effects on the organism vary. In this paper, we discuss the research on DF and gut microbiota and related diseases, aiming to understand the relationship between the three better and provide a reference basis for the risk reduction of related diseases.