Australian food scientists have reclassified dietary fibres – beyond just soluble and insoluble – to better guide nutritional decisions and drive targeted health food products.
In a new study published in Food Research International, the RMIT University team propose a more nuanced fibre classification based on five key features: backbone structure, water-holding-capacity, structural charge, fibre matrix and fermentation rate.
Christo Opperman, Study lead author and RMIT PhD candidate, said: “Despite our evolving understanding of how central different types of fibre are to nurturing a healthy gut biome, our dietary fibre classifications remain simplistic between broad categories of soluble and insoluble types.
Our framework is an essential step in addressing this gap.”
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