Dietary Fiber in Health and Disease, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1982 Gwumc Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Spring Symposia Series

Dietary fiber is a topic that has burgeoned from an esoteric interest of a few research laboratories to a subject of international interest. This growth has been helped by the intense public interest in the potential benefits of adding fiber to the diet. The general popularity of fiber may have been helped by the perception that, for once, medicine was saying "do" instead of "don't. " There has been a proliferation of excellent scientific books on dietary fiber. Why another? The Spring Symposium on Dietary Fiber in Health and Disease was an outgrowth of our belief that informal discussion among peers-a discussion in which fact is freely interlaced with speculation-was the most effective way to organize our knowledge and direct our thinking. The normal growth progression of a discipline inc1udes its branching into many areas. Soon the expertise, which was once general, is broken into many specialties. Intercommunication becoIlles increasingly difficult. It was our intent to provide a forum that would expose its participants to developments in areas related to their research interest. Free exchange under these conditions could not help but broaden everyone's knowl­ edge and expand his horizons. We feel that this symposium was singularly successful in achieving its goals. It resulted in a free and friendly exchange of knowledge and ideas. It helped to establish seeds for future collaborations based on mutual interest and friendship. The proceedings of this conference will serve as yet another basic resource in the fiber field.

1 Definitions and Terminology of Dietary Fiber.- 2 Consequences of the Metabolism of Fiber in the Human Large Intestine.- 3 Dietary Fiber and Colon Function in a Population Aged 18–80 Years.- 4 Colonic Bacterial Activity: Effect of Fiber on Substrate Concentration and on Enzyme Action.- 5 Digestion and Absorption of Nutrients.- 6 Modification of Intestinal Absorption by Dietary Fiber and Fiber Components.- 7 Pancreatic and Digestive Function.- 8 Interactions of Dietary Fiber and Nutrients.- 9 Effects of Fiber on Mineral and Vitamin Bioavailability.- 10 Effects of Phytic Acid on Mineral Availability.- 11 Dietary Fiber—Iron Interactions: Fiber-Modified Uptakes of Iron by Segments of Rat Intestine.- 12 Fiber, Obesity, and Diabetes.- 13 Dietary Fiber and Obesity: A Review.- 14 Dietary Fiber and Diabetes.- 15 Effect of Dietary Fiber on Lipids and Glucose Tolerance of Healthy Young Men.- 16 Does Simple Substitution of Fiber-Rich Foods for Refined Foods Aid in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus?.- 17 Fiber and Lipids.- 18 Modification of Bile Acid Spectrum by Dietary Fiber.- 19 Dietary Fibers and Intestinal Absorption of Lipids.- 20 Dietary Fiber and Lipoproteins.- 21 Colon Cancer and Dietary Fiber: An Overview.- 22 Dietary Fiber, Bile Acids, and Intestinal Morphology.- 23 Dietary Fiber and Colon Carcinogenesis: A Critical Review.- 24 Studies on the Effects of Single Fiber Sources in the Dimethylhydrazine Rodent Model of Human Bowel Neoplasia.- 25 Bile Acids and Human Colorectal Cancer.- 26 Postulated Mechanisms whereby Fiber May Protect against Large Bowel Cancer.