Dietary fiber: a brief review and potential application to enteral nutrition

Advances in enteral nutrition include the provision of organ-specific fuels to improve gut structure and function. Examples of these fuels include soluble fiber as a fuel precursor, and the SCFAs acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Butyrate appears to exert its trophic effect primarily in the colon, whereas the combined SCFAs affect the whole gastrointestinal tract. The provision of these fuels may be indicated for selected patients with intestinal dysfunction.