Dietary fiber intakes of nursing home residents and independent-living older adults

Abstract

Daily dietary fiber intakes were determined for two groups of older adults with significantly different bowel habits: nursing-home (NH) residents who habitually took laxatives and independent-living (IL) adults who took laxatives occasionally. Fiber intakes were calculated from neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and Southgate total dietary fiber values. IL subjects (n = 7) consumed on average 9.0 +/- 1.6 g NDF and 18.8 +/- 4.6 g total fiber daily. The NH menu provided a similar amount of NDF but more total fiber. NH residents (n = 6) consumed approximately 70-85% of the fiber served. When fiber intakes were expressed as energy, NH and IL subjects consumed similar amounts of NDF but IL subjects consumed less total fiber. Grain products were major fiber sources for both groups; IL subjects consumed more fiber from fruits. Comparisons of fiber intakes, bowel function, lifestyles, and medications suggest that dietary fiber is only part of the basis for inadequate large bowel function experienced by some elderly populations.

Measuring lignin and neutral sugars in neutral detergent soluble and insoluble fractions of human and rat feces

“…The fecal neutral sugar content of the human wheat bran feces was 7.9 g/day and of the human cellulose feces, 19.0 g/day. Daily neutral sugar intake derived from dietary fiber was approximately 30 g with the wheat bran diet (Johnson et al, 1988) and 24 g during the cellulose diet (Slavin et al, 1983). Comparison of daily total neutral sugar intake with excretion in the humans indicates that daily neutral sugar excretion with wheat bran supplemented diet was 26% of that consumed, and with the cellulose-supplemented diet, neutral sugar excretion was 79% of that consumed.…”