Abstract
Less than 10% of most Western populations consume adequate levels of whole fruits and dietary fiber with typical intake being about half of the recommended levels. Evidence of the beneficial health effects of consuming adequate levels of whole fruits has been steadily growing, especially regarding their bioactive fiber prebiotic effects and role in improved weight control, wellness and healthy aging. The primary aim of this narrative review article is to examine the increasing number of health benefits which are associated with the adequate intake of whole fruits, especially fruit fiber, throughout the human lifecycle. These potential health benefits include: protecting colonic gastrointestinal health (e.g., constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, and diverticular disease); promoting long-term weight management; reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome; defending against colorectal and lung cancers; improving odds of successful aging; reducing the severity of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; enhancing psychological well-being and lowering the risk of depression; contributing to higher bone mineral density in children and adults; reducing risk of seborrheic dermatitis; and helping to attenuate autism spectrum disorder severity. Low whole fruit intake represents a potentially more serious global population health threat than previously recognized, especially in light of the emerging research on whole fruit and fruit fiber health benefits.
Highlights
The beneficial health effects of consuming healthy dietary patterns rich in dietary fiber from whole plant foods include: improving gut health; lowering elevated LDL-cholesterol; reducing the risk of excessive weight gain and obesity; decreasing cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality risks; reducing risks of several cancers, stroke and type 2 diabetes; and improving the odds for successful aging [1,2,3,4,5]
A parallel Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) found that centrally obese post-menopausal women who were more dietary adherent to an energy restricted diet lost up to 23% more visceral fat than less adherent subjects, which was correlated with their higher intake of fiber (p < 0.001) [120]
These RCTs support that consumption of fiber-rich diets N(u>t2r8iengtsf2i0b1e8r, /1d0,a1y8)33can lead to weight loss and improved body composition compared to a low12fiobfe5r4 Western diet (≤ approx. 20 g fiber/day)
Summary
The beneficial health effects of consuming healthy dietary patterns rich in dietary fiber from whole plant foods include: improving gut health; lowering elevated LDL-cholesterol; reducing the risk of excessive weight gain and obesity; decreasing cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality risks; reducing risks of several cancers, stroke and type 2 diabetes; and improving the odds for successful aging [1,2,3,4,5]. Whole fruits (e.g., fresh, frozen, canned or dried) are recognized for their fiber content, very low to moderate energy density, and as being important sources of healthy nutrients (e.g., potassium and vitamin C) and phytochemicals (e.g., polyphenols and carotenoids), which work synergistically to support a wide range of health benefits [1,2,6,7,8,9]. Fruit fiber is a relatively small component of the total fiber consumed in populations eating a Western dietary pattern. Whole fruit can provide a major source of fermentable fiber to support colon prebiotic activity, which can contribute to a wide range of potential human health benefits with sustained consumption at recommended levels
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