Translations:Dietary fiber/44/en

1. Feces are 75% water; bacteria make a large contribution to the dry weight, the residue being unfermented fiber and excreted compounds.
2. Fecal output may vary over a range of between 20 and 280 g over 24 hours. The amount of feces egested a day varies for any one individual over a period of time.
3. Of dietary constituents, only dietary fiber increases fecal weight.

Water is distributed in the colon in three ways:

1. Free water which can be absorbed from the colon.
2. Water that is incorporated into bacterial mass.
3. Water that is bound by fiber.

Fecal weight is dictated by:

1. the holding of water by the residual dietary fiber after fermentation.
2. the bacterial mass.
3. There may also be an added osmotic effect of products of bacterial fermentation on fecal mass.