| Theme |
Forefront of therapeutic food for dialysis patients |
| Title |
Types and utility of dietary fiber |
| Author |
Koji Karasawa |
Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd. |
| [ Summary ] |
People who receive hemodialysis treatment have been reported to have a high frequency of constipation. It is also reported that patients with kidney disease consume only 5.9 g of dietary fiber per day. It is suspected there is a correlation between deficiencies in dietary fiber and constipation. Recently, it has become possible to ingest higher amounts of dietary fiber with less potassium by incorporating highly refined dietary fiber into the diet. Dietary fibers are roughly divided into insoluble and soluble. Insoluble dietary fibers have the function of increasing in the amount of stools and promoting intestinal peristalsis. On the other hand, soluble dietary fibers suppress rises in blood sugar levels and blood neutral fats. Agar has both insoluble and soluble properties. It has been reported that defecation control of dialysis patients through intake of agar has provided a higher percentage of subjects with reduced defecation problems. |