Which of the following is a common effect of enteral fiber on the intestinal tract?

• A. Faster transit throughout
• B. Increased fecal bacteria concentrations
• C. Improvement in constipation
• D. Improvement in diarrhea

Answer: (D)

Fiber in enteral nutrition modulates stool form and bowel transit. Soluble fiber forms a gel in the gut, binds water, and slows intestinal transit, which helps firm stools and reduce watery stools. This mechanism commonly translates into improvement in diarrhea for patients on enteral feeding, making it the best-supported outcome. While fiber can sometimes affect bacterial populations or help constipation, those effects are more variable and not as consistently observed as diarrhea improvement.