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Macronutrient Absorption

  • Chapter
Dietary Fiber

Abstract

Several reports suggest that various sources of dietary fiber can slow the process of digestion and absorption of macronutrients. It is likely that the physical properties of fiber sources such as particle size, viscosity, water-holding capacity, gel formation, and bile acid binding capacity are important in determining the effect of a fiber source on nutrient absorption. The effects of fiber on gastrointestinal function have recently been reviewed (Schneeman, 1987; Vahouny and Cassidy, 1985), and several mechanisms have been suggested by which the physical properties of fiber slow digestion and absorption. The gastrointestinal tract is illustrated in Fig. 1; experimental evidence suggests that sources of fiber are likely to affect the function of each organ involved with the digestion and absorption of nutrients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA

    Barbara Olds Schneeman

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  1. Barbara Olds Schneeman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    David Kritchevsky

  2. Astra Associates, Inc., McLean, Virginia, USA

    Charles Bonfield

  3. Veterans Administration Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    James W. Anderson

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© 1990 Plenum Press, New York

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Schneeman, B.O. (1990). Macronutrient Absorption. In: Kritchevsky, D., Bonfield, C., Anderson, J.W. (eds) Dietary Fiber. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0519-4_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0519-4_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7846-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0519-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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