Western diets dietary fiber

A resurgence of interest in dietary fiber has been stimulated by epidemiological evidence of differences in colonic disease patterns between cultures with diets containing large quantities of fiber, and Western cultures having more highly refined diets. Many African countries, for example, are relatively free of diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, polyps, and cancer of the colon Whereas most interest has focused on the beneficial role of dietary fiber, there is also concern that high fiber diets may cause disturbances in the absorption of nutrients such as minerals (see Mineral Nutrients) and vitamins. 

Dietary obesity and obesity-related diseases are among the widely occurring nutritional health problems in most of the developed nations in the Western world. Seaweed fiber in the diet helps to control weight gain in different ways. Adding considerable amoimt of seaweed to the diet enables to keep the dieter feel fuller quickly and to reduce the appetite dramatically for further eating. Moreover, most of the dietary fiber in seaweed is not taken up by the human body and provides a low caloric value to the diet. In addition, this soluble fiber forms a viscous mass in the... 

Epidemiological evidence in causative relationships between fiber-depleted diets and certain characteristically Western diseases has stimulated research Interest in the physiological and physico-chemical properties of various dietary fibers in the past decade (1). Dietary fibers are composed of cellulose, lignin, and noncellulosic polysaccharides, all of which are the... 

There are several aspects of diabetic dietary management which have not been covered in this chapter salt intake and the effect of carbohydrate and fiber on blood coagulation, minerals, and trace elements are examples. It is important to remember that a benefit from change in diet can be offset by other unforeseen effects. There are, however, no known detrimental effects attributable to the consumption of mixed Western diets rich in complex carbohydrate and fiber. The optimum proportion of calories to be taken as carbohydrate remains open to question. The British Diabetic Association has suggested 50-55%, and some studies have shown benefit when even greater quantities of carbohydrate have been used. For practical purposes, a 50% proportion seems a sensible aim, but it must be remembered that while this figure represents a considerable increase for most diabetics, all the studies cited in this chapter have involved a higher proportion of calories from carbohydrate. 

Fiber—Gallstones are rare in areas where considerable dietary fiber is eaten—rural Africa, but they are common where diets are low in fiber—the western world. 

Several dietary constituents decrease the bioavailability of calcium in food. Increasing fiber intake by, for example, replacing white flour by whole wheat flour in a typical Western diet has long been associated with negative calcium balance even when calcium intakes meet recommended levels. Likewise, the fiber in fruits and vegetables can cause negative calcium balance. In cereals, phytic acid is the main constituent of fiber that binds calcium, making it unavailable for absorption. The... 

---