Dietary Fibre and Prebiotics

Dietary fibre intake is associated with a myriad of health benefits. Among others, their fermentation by the microbiota results in the formation of short chain fatty acids, which protect against pathogenic bacteria. Together with dietary fibres, prebiotics are colonic nutrients but prebiotics are degraded and utilized only by beneficial bacteria, namely bifidobacteria and/or lactobacilli. (S. Macfarlane, 2010)