Reference values for intake of six types of soluble and insoluble fibre in healthy UK inhabitants based on the UK Biobank data

Objective: To obtain a set of reference values for the intake of different types of dietary fibre in a healthy UK population. Design: This descriptive cross-sectional study used the UK Biobank data to estimate the dietary patterns of healthy individuals. Data on fibre content in different foods were used to calculate the reference values which were then calibrated using real-world data on total fibre intake. Setting: UK Biobank is a prospective cohort study of over 500 000 individuals from across the United Kingdom with the participants aged between 40 and 69 years. Participants: UK Biobank contains information on over 500 000 participants. This study was performed using the data on 19 990 individuals (6941 men, 13 049 women) who passed stringent quality control and filtering procedures and had reported above-zero intake of the analysed foods. Results: A set of reference values for the intake of six different types of soluble and insoluble fibres (cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin and lignin), including the corresponding totals, was developed and calibrated using real-world data. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to establish specific reference values for the intake of different types of dietary fibre. It is well known that effects exerted by different types of fibre both directly and through modulation of microbiota are numerous. Conceivably, a deficit or excess intake of specific types of dietary fibre may detrimentally affect human health. Filling this knowledge gap opens new avenues for research in discussion in studies of nutrition and microbiota and offers valuable tools for practitioners worldwide.