Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Dreher, Mark L

Titel

Connection Between Fiber, Colonic Microbiota, and Health Across the Human Life Cycle

Ist Teil von

• Dietary Fiber in Health and Disease, 2017, p.67-93

Ort / Verlag

Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG

Erscheinungsjahr

2017

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• A symbiotic relationship has developed between fiber-rich dietary patterns and a healthy colonic microbiota over the course of millions of years of human evolution, which contributes to healthier energy metabolism and aging, and lower risk of chronic diseases, frailty in older age, and premature death. However, the present widespread intake of a Western pattern lower fiber diet has disturbed this relationship leading to a reversal of these health effects. There is a critical balance between microbiota health and dysbiosis depending on the level of fiber in the diet. Fiber is the primary dietary source of microbiota-accessible carbohydrates required for fermentation to short chain fatty acids, which are the main colonocyte energy source and an important source of bioactive metabolites. Adequate fiber intake supports a healthier colonic microbiota ecosystem, which decreases pathobionts, colonic permeability and endotoxemia, inflammation, colonic pH, and bowel transit time; increases symbionts, immune function, and fecal butyrate levels (an important colonic anti-inflammatory metabolite); and contributes to greater stool bulk to dilute potential toxic or carcinogenic compounds or metabolites. Fiber-rich healthy dietary patterns help to promote a diverse, healthy colonic microbiota that has a critical role throughout the human life span, beginning with the promotion of a healthy infant immune function and subsequently protecting the colon from infections such as C. difficile, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer; decreasing the risk of weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and breast cancer; and delaying the aging process, including frailty and premature death.