The metabolisable energy value of foods

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Abstract
Methods for calculating the Metabolisable Energy (ME) of foods and diets are reviewed in the light of the current interest in diets high in dietary fibre.A new equation is proposed for the calculation of ME, taking into account the dietary fibre content of foods and its effects on the digestibility of proximate sources of energy. The equation has been tested against values for the ME of various diets determined by balance studies in human subjects, and gives results which agree within 3%. This agreement is much closer than that obtained with the other available methods for calculating ME, including those currently in use.