The Need to Reassess Dietary Fiber Requirements in Healthy and Critically Ill Patients

This article provides evidence that current dietary fiber intake levels may be insufficient to maintain colonic mucosal health and defense, and reduce inflammation and cancer risk in otherwise healthy people. Current commercial tube feeds generally overlook the metabolic needs of the colon and may p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inGastroenterology clinics of North America Vol. 47; no. 1; p. 219
Main Author O'Keefe, Stephen J D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.2018
Subjects
Critical Illness
Dietary Fiber - administration & dosage
Dietary Supplements
Health
Humans
Nutritional Requirements
Fiber supplementation
Colon cancer
Dietary fiber
Clinical studies
Clostridium difficile
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Summary:This article provides evidence that current dietary fiber intake levels may be insufficient to maintain colonic mucosal health and defense, and reduce inflammation and cancer risk in otherwise healthy people. Current commercial tube feeds generally overlook the metabolic needs of the colon and may predispose patients to dysbiosis, bacterial overgrowth with pathogens such as Clostridium difficile, and acute colitis. These results raise concern about the wide-scale use of prophylactic antibiotics in the intensive care unit and the use of elemental, fiber-depleted tube feeds. Nutrition support is not complete without the addition of sufficient fiber to meet colonic nutritional needs.
ISSN:1558-1942
DOI:10.1016/j.gtc.2017.10.005