Preface

As a component of food, dietary fibers gained importance when their functional properties came into the limelight. Their role in gut health was identified to be significant, and therefore, they are being incorporated into food products in the market to enhance the health benefits.

This book primarily covers two areas: the fundamentals of dietary fibers and their health benefits. Under the fundamentals of dietary fibers, the chemical, structural, and biochemical aspects of a food component are covered. As for health benefits, emphasis is primarily placed on their benefits imparted to gut microorganisms. The chapters covering these two areas are positioned in such a way that readers who do not come from the relevant academic background can go through the content and realize the importance of dietary fibers for themselves.

As a book that is highly relevant to food chemistry, it is expected that the contents of the chapters will add to the existing knowledge on dietary fibers and also open doors to research that would widen the horizons concerning their importance in health and wellness. From an industrial perspective, it is anticipated that knowledge shared herein would benefit food manufacturers in making scientific judgments about the incorporation and processing of dietary fibers in their food products without causing damage to the functional properties.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to the authors who have contributed all the wonderful and informative chapters to this book. Also, heartfelt appreciation goes to the Publisher IntechOpen with whom I have worked on several publications prior to this one. Last but not least, my appreciation goes to the Publishing Process Managers Ms. Marijana Francetic and Ms. Marina Dusevic who were assigned to this book had rendered their fullest support in putting the materials together and acted on all my requests in a timely manner.

> **Dr. Viduranga Y. Waisundara** Australian College of Business and Technology, Kandy Campus, Kandy, Sri Lanka

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