A RAPID METHOD FOR ESTIMATING TOTAL DIETARY FIBER CONTENT

Dietary fibre is now considered part of a healthful diet. This article describes the approach that was used to elaborate a fibre exchange system which could serve as a tool for quickly calculating the fibre content of diets. The system is based on a statistical model obtained from a stepwise multiple linear regression derived from the analysis of dietary data collected on 22 subjects who completed a total of nearly 200 one-day food records over all. The model makes very good prediction of the fibre intake of the subjects, which varies from 14 to 49 g per day when evaluated by using a computerized nutrient calculation system with no missing data for fibre. The fibre exchange system could prove a useful tool for quickly estimating the fibre content of diets, for planning and teaching as well as evaluating compliance with fibre-rich diets.