Abstract

Dietary fiber (DF) intake is generally accepted as part of a positive diet with regard to improving health. The physiological and physicochemical properties of DF are dependent on the individual components present, particularly the soluble and insoluble fractions and other associated compounds such as bioactive compounds. Some types of DF present different physiological features and health effects due to the presence of specific components: prebiotic DFs, antioxidant DFs, DFs that regulate the intestinal transit, hypoglycemic DFs, hypocholesterolemic DFs, and satiety-inducing DFs.