ABSTRACT
What is dietary …ber (DF)? How much DF intake is needed for its expression of essentiality? What are the minimum DF needs for (1) optimum intestinal regularity (laxation), (2) optimum microbiota composition and mass, and conversely (3) what is the maximum amount of DF that can be tolerated by the intestine? Is there an upper limit (UL) that can be assigned to DF intakes, and what are the consequences of exceeding this UL? What are the health bene…ts of DF? Are the absolute and/or essential needs of DF versus its health bene…ts synonymous? Is there one single source of DF that can be considered the most bene…cial and/or necessary (possibly essential)? DF is plural and represents a large variety of nondigestible carbohydrates (NDCs) with varying chemical and physical properties, which a¬ect their physiological properties, mainly in and via the intestine. ´e fact that DF is not digested in the small intestine coupled with its fermentability in the large intestine makes it unique among all carbohydrate food ingredients; these properties contributes to its essentially. It is acknowledged that other nondigestible food components such as plant proteins contribute to intestinal function.
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