Fiber Types Functional vs Manufactured

Fiber is defined as: plant polysaccharides and lignin which are resistant to hydrolysis by the digestive enzymes of man
** however, this doesn’t take into account all the indigestible stuff that makes it way to our colons !!! ick!

Dietary Fiber is intact and intrinsic in plants vs. Functional Fiber which is isolated, extracted or manufactured shown to have beneficial physiological effects in humans

**On food labels, DF and FF are not categorized!

Cellulose:

• homopolymer of glucose, 1-4 bond (Beta)
• in plant cell walls
• poorly fermentable
• insoluble

B Glucan

• Water Soluble
• Homopolymers of glucose
• 1-4 and 1-3 bonds
• Helps decrease cholesterol by grabbing it at the 1-4 bonds

Lignin:

• 3-D, Highly Branched polymer of phenol units
• Forms toughest part of plants…i.e seeds of strawberries,
• Stays longer on the vine-à More ligninà harder to chew
• Baby Carrotsà Less Lignin

Pectin

• Intercellular cement ( thick, gooey)
• Forms primary plant cell wall

Gums

• Hold onto water, Highly Fermentible
  -Guar gum, Xantham gum, gum Arabic, Carageenan, Agar, karaya, hatti
  -ex. Sweetheart Candies (vegetable gums) and Jello Puddin Pops ( xantham , guar, agar, and carageenan)

Soluble Fiber mixes well in water

Viscosity is the fluid thickness/ capacity to form gels

Fermentability is the capacity to be broken down by bacteria

Insoluble, Non Viscous, Non Fermentable Include:

Cellulose Lignin Hemicelluloses

Soluble, Viscous, Fermentable Includes:

Mucilages, Gums, Pectins

--thats it for today folks!