A new study from the University of Minnesota has identified additional health benefits of prioritising plant-based sources of fibre.
The new study, published in the journal Nutrients, highlights how researchers found that each plant source of insoluble fibre contains unique bioactives – compounds that have been linked to lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes – offering potential health benefits beyond those of the fibre itself.
Joanne Slavin, co-author of the paper and a professor at the university’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, explained that awareness is increasing around the need for fibre and how it impacts gut health, an area of wellness becoming “increasingly important as scientific research continues to reveal its impact on overall health and wellbeing”.
“Fibre is the marker of health that is included in our dietary guidelines and found on product labels, but our research indicates that we need to ensure the other valuable components of fibre-containing plant sources — the bioactives — are also recognised as providing valuable benefits for human health”.
A variety of plant foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains contain insoluble dietary fibre, and the study found that each source contains unique bioactives that support health in different ways.
Desirable bioactives like quercetin, resveratrol, catechins, anthocyanins, lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene were found in a variety of plant foods that also contain insoluble dietary fibre.
The paper said that plant sources with bioactives and insoluble dietary fibre could be used to fortify processed foods to increase their nutritional value.
It also highlighted that production byproducts such as peel, hulls, pulp or pomace are generally high in fibre and bioactives and therefore offer unique nutritional value from sustainable sources.
Consumer research found that utilising this fortification at a low level did not decrease consumer acceptability of the food product.
Jan-Willem Van Klinken, co-author of the study and senior VP of medical, scientific and regulatory affairs for Brightseed, said: “If we can offer widely accessible fibre-fortified products that have been developed to enhance rather than negate bioactive content, we can provide consumers with increased nutritional value”.
The study’s authors said their research further illuminates the need for industry, academia and government to collaborate on championing broad awareness and education of bioactives in food and health systems.
Further research is required to identify extraction and processing methods that preserve and optimise bioactive compounds.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024
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