Research
Hormonal
Fermentation of non-starch polysaccharides by colonic microflora produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate, which promotes large bowel health, inhibits pathogenic organisms, and may offer a prebiotic effect.
Include a variety of fibrous plant foods in your diet to feed your gut bacteria. These bacteria ferment the fiber into beneficial compounds like butyrate, which support colon health and may help protect against colorectal issues.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
a major proportion of dietary NSPs escapes the small intestine nearly intact, and is fermented into SCFAs by commensal microflora present in the colon and cecum and promotes normal laxation. Short chain fatty acids have a number of health promoting effects... Certain NSPs through their fermented products may promote the growth of specific beneficial colonic bacteria which offer a prebiotic effect.
Why this rating
Review paper summarizing mechanisms and effects.
Source
Dietary Roles of Non-Starch Polysachharides in Human Nutrition: A Review
Vikas Kumar et al. · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · 2012
DOI 10.1080/10408398.2010.512671
narrative_reviewCited 304×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Dietary intake of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs), particularly soluble types like mixed-link β-glucans, lowers plasma cholesterol and normalizes blood glucose and insulin levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.Moderate
- Insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (specifically cellulose and hemicellulose) act as effective laxatives by providing bulk to gut contents, promoting normal laxation and preventing constipation.Moderate
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