THE FIBER STARCH OVERLAP - A NEW LOOK AT FOOD CARBOHYDRATES

The standard classification of carbohydrates is unhelpful because it g ives no indication of digestibility and hence of nutritional value. A new classification of starch is described, based on its variable diges tibility in the human small intestine and the fact that starch escapin g into the large intestine has some actions similar to those of some n on-starch polysaccharides (dietary fibre). Only separate values for ch emically defined components will allow full understanding of the physi ological effects of dietary carbohydrates.