Optimizing dietary fiber intake: Strategies for human nutrition and food science
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Date
2026-04-01
Authors
Walsh, Sarah Kate
Armet, Anissa M.
Nikolaeva, Daria D.
Mota, João F.
Lucey, Alice J.
Oliero, Manon
Walter, Jens
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Abstract
Adequate dietary fiber intake from plant foods is critical for the prevention of noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs). However, across industrialized nations, consumption remains insufficient to meet established intake recommendations. This gap provides a strong rationale to include functional fibers in processed foods or use them as supplements, although their effectiveness in reducing NCD risk is inconclusive. In this review, we examine current nutritional strategies to optimize fiber intake, spanning whole-plant foods, processed foods made or enriched with fiber-containing ingredients, and fiber supplements. We examine the structure and physicochemical properties of the fiber types represented in these strategies and explore the mechanisms by which they influence the gut microbiome and NCD risk markers. Drawing on evidence from human intervention studies, we critically assess the strengths and limitations of each strategy to improve health outcomes and propose a framework for the effective and systematic integration of fiber into nutrition and food science.
Description
© 2026, the author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0), which permits any non commercial use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
Keywords
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being , Dietary fiber , Functional fiber , Gut microbiome , Intrinsic fiber , Noncommunicable diseases , Whole grains , [APCMicrobiome] , [FoodNutritionalSciences] , [Microbiology] , Food Science
Citation
Walsh, S K, Armet, A M, Nikolaeva, D D, Mota, J F, Lucey, A J, Oliero, M & Walter, J 2026, 'Optimizing dietary fiber intake: Strategies for human nutrition and food science', Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 25-50. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-food-052824-044842
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