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, DF received little attention in nutrition studies. With in-depth research and developments in global nutrition, people have gradually paid 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 the dietary intake of DF-rich foods such as whole grains, root vegetables, legumes, and fruits has the potential to regulate the balance of the gut microbiota and thereby prevent diseases. However, the crosstalk between different types of DF and the gut microbiota is quite complex, and the effects on the organism vary. In this paper, we discuss research on DF and the gut microbiota and related diseases, aiming to understand the relationship between all three better and provide a reference basis for the risk reduction of related diseases.