[Bulk vegetable material in human nutrition (author's transl)].

Intake of bulk vegetable material has diminished in the western countries considerably since the beginning of industrialisation. Lack of bulk substances is being held responsible lately for the increase of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It has been shown, that bulk materials increased stool weight and decreased gastrointestinal passage time; it is assumed, that they do have beneficial effects in the treatment of diverticulosis of the colon. It is still controversial, how bulk materials influence mineral metabolism, especially intestinal resorption of iron, calcium and other bivalent cations. Hypocholesterinemic effects of lignin and pectin, which form part of vegetable bulk food, are as yet not well defined. The question is still open, if bulk foods do have prophylactic effects in regard to carcinoma of the colon.