Adding Soluble Fibre
Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the health benefits of consuming adequate levels of dietary fibre. Because fibre contributes to a balanced gastrointestinal tract, a diet high in fibre may protect against high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, constipation, obesity, diverticulosis, certain forms of cancer, and the growth of intestinal pathogens.
Nutritonists warn that the average diet contains less than half of the recommended fibre intake of 25 grams per day. While many consumers are aware that they can increase their fibre intake by eating more grains, fruits and vegetables, they may not realise they can also further supplement their diets by selecting foods with added fibre ingredients, such as Litesse®.
The ability of Litesse® to significantly boost the fibre content of many foods and beverages is a benefit to both consumers and food processors. In Japan, Litesse® has long been recognised as an important fibre source, and today a growing number of countries worldwide acknowledge polydextrose as fibre. Unlike some fibres, Litesse® is extremely well tolerated with a mean laxative dose of 90 grams per day. As such, it is less likely to cause the rapid gas production and lactic acid accumulation associated with gastric discomfort. The positive effects of Litesse® as a dietary fibre are also apparent at doses as low as 4 grams per day in humans.
Litesse® is not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract and is only partially fermented in the lower GI tract. Its ingestion has been shown to increase the amount of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the lower intestine and to decrease the amount of detrimental bacteria, e.g. clostridia and bacteroides. Fermentation of Litesse® by the beneficial bacteria leads to a lower fecal pH through the production of important short-chain fatty acids, notably butyric acid, which are believed to play a role in reducing cancer risk (See Health Benefits – Prebiotic).
