Dietary fiber from whole foods like grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits has demonstrated benefits for gastrointestinal (GIT) health. Isolated and extracted fibers also show promising regulatory effects on the gut and microbiome. However, fibers have varying physicochemical properties depending on their origin and processing that influence their functional characteristics and clinical applications. More research is needed, including well-designed randomized controlled trials, to determine which fiber sources, characteristics, doses and durations optimize GIT health benefits and manage gastrointestinal disorders. Combining fibers with different physiological effects may be a promising therapeutic strategy.

1. Kurdistan Board GEH/GIT Surgery J Club 2020
Supervised by Professor Dr. Mohamed Alshekhani.

2. Introduction:
 The benefits of dietary fibre on GIT health demonstrated from
consumption of unrefined whole foods containing fibers, as whole
grains,legumes, vegetables&fruits.
 Isolated & extracted fibres have demonstrated promising regulatory
effects on the gut (for example, digestion,absorption, transit time, stool
formation) & microbial effects (changes in gut microbiota composition &
fermentation metabolites) with important implications for GIT disorders.
 The physicochemical properties of different dietary fibres (solubility,
viscosity,fermentability) vary greatly depending on the origin- processing
&are important of the functional characteristics&clinical utility

19. Conclusion:
 Manipulating &/or increasing fibre intake is a promising therapeutic
strategy in the prevention / management of many GIT disorders.
 Physicochemical characteristics; solubility, viscosity & fermentability drive
different functionalities in GIT dis underpining their therapeutic potential.
 Current guidelines/recommendations reflect earlier studies using wide
range of dietary fibres with diff physicochem&functional characteristics.
 The lack of consistenc& reporting of these characteristics in studies to date
has limited the clinical utility of dietary fibre for managing GIT disorders.
 There is an urgent need for well- designed RCTs to determine which
physicochemical characteristics, fibre source,what doses & durations are
optimal for clinically meaningful GIT health benefits.
 Co- administration of different fibres with differing physiological effects,
or novel, naturally occurring dietary fibres with dual physiological
properties has yet to be explored&holds promise as a therapeutic strategy
across several gastrointestinal disorders.