Dietary fiber and health

Sungsoo Cho, Nelson Almeida

"Preface Fiber offers a variety of health benefits and is essential to reduce the risk of such chronic diseases as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diverticulitis. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), adequate intake (AI) of total fiber should be 14 g/1000 kcal. The IOM recommendation is joined by those from a variety of government public health agencies that promote increased fiber consumption, but a majority of people in developed countries still fall short of recommended values. On average, Americans consume only half of required intake, and approximately 90% of the U.S. population fails to meet AI goals. The problem stems largely from the fact that most conventional high-fiber foods are not tasty. Their organoleptic properties lack the kind of sensory attributes that people seek in the foods they eat. This makes it imperative for food companies to formulate...