Table 1

Description and sources of dietary fibre types classified based on functional characteristics2 3 93

TypeDescriptionDietary sourcesExamples of supplemental sources
Bulking; minimally fermented
CellulosePrimary component of plant cell walls, composed of glucose units.Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts.
~25% in grains (higher if bran is intact) and fruit; ~33% fibre content in vegetables and nuts.
Food additive E460 (thickening agent).		–
LigninA component of plant cell walls composed of phenylpropane units; not strictly a polysaccharide but recognised as fibre.Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.–
Viscous; bulking; minimally fermented
Ispaghula/psylliumA type of hemicellulose comprised of arabinose and xylose units.Plantago ovata.Psyllium powder: Fybogel; Metamucil; generic
Psyllium husk: Metamucil; generic.
MethylcelluloseSynthetic derivative of cellulose.Food additive E461 (emulsifier, stabiliser, thickening agent).Citrucel.
SterculiaA type of gum derived from the tropical tree genus Sterculia.Food additive E416 (emulsifier, stabiliser, thickening agent).Normafibe.
Viscous; fermentable
Beta-glucansA type of hemicellulose comprised of D-glucose units.Whole grains, predominantly barley and oats.Betaglucare.
PectinComponent of plant cell walls; composed of galacturonic acids.Fruits and vegetables (found in skins), and legumes.
Food additive E440 (thickener).		–
Fermentable
Fructan (inulin type)Linear molecules of β−1,2-linked fructose residues attached to a sucrose core (DP from 4 to large; DP <10 known as fructo-oligosaccharide).Chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, onion, garlic and cereal grains.
Food additive (fat substitute).		FOS: Orafti Oligofructose; Orafti P95
Inulin: Orafti GR; Orafti HP.
Galacto-oligosaccharideShort-chain fibre, DP 3–5, composed of fructose, glucose and galactose units.Legumes and human breast milk.Galacto-oligosaccharide: Bimuno
Human milk oligosaccharide: Life-Space.
Xylo-oligosaccharideShort-chain fibre comprised of 2–4 xylose units.Found in low quantities across fruits, vegetables and honey.–
PolydextroseSynthetic polysaccharide composed of glucose units combined with sorbitol.Low joule sweetener.
Food additive E1200 (filling agent, thickening agent).		–
Resistant starchStarches that resistant digestion; classified based on the manner by which digestion is escaped:

  • RS1: physically inaccessible starches.

  • RS2: granular starches.

  • RS3: retrograded starches.

  • RS4: chemically modified starches.

  • RS5: amylose-lipid complexes.

  • RS1: whole grains, legumes and seeds.

  • RS2: green bananas, legumes and raw potatoes.

  • RS3: cooked and cooled starches (bread, pasta, potato and rice).

  • RS4: food additives.

Many food-related starches have resistant parts (usually <5% of the starch), whereas some are developed and/or synthesised to resist hydrolysis.

  • RS2: High amylose maize starch; Hylon VII; green banana flour.

  • RS4: Novelose.

Varied characteristics
GumsProducts of plant cell metabolism rather than components of cell walls. Mannose units with various side-chains.Legumes and nuts.
Food additives E410–E418 (emulsifiers, stabilisers and thickening agents).		Partially hydrolysed guar gum: Sunfiber.
HemicellulosesComponent of plant cell walls, consists of a heterogeneous group of substances composed of arabinose, galacturonic acid, glucose, mannose and xylose.Broadly found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
Comprises ~33% of fibre content in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.		–

  • DP, degree of polymerisation; FOS, fructo-oligosaccharide; RS, resistant starch.