2003 Volume 56 Issue 1 Pages 29-32
We attempted to determine how the dietary fiber content of commercially available vegetables varies according to season and form. We purchased two kinds of Japanese burdock, thin and washed, at the same market each month from February to December, and measured their contents of soluble and insolubledietary fiber by the enzyme-weight method. We also measured the contents of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber in commercial Japanese radish, carrot and spinach in spring, summer and autumn. The contents of soluble and insoluble fiber in thin burdock and washed burdock were 0.4-6.5g and 3.1-6.5g, and 0.9-8.1g and 3.0-4.2g, respectively. The contents of soluble and insoluble fiber in carrot, Japanese radish and spinach were 0.4-0.7g and 2.0-2.7g, 0.2g and 1.1-1.2g, and 0.3-0.7g and 1.8-3.6g, respectively. These results suggest that in Japanese burdock the content of insoluble fiber does not vary, whereas the soluble fiber content varies greatly irrespective of season or commercial form.
