© 2004 by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Society of Gastroenterology
GUT MOTILITY
Inhibitory actions of a high fibre diet on intestinal gas transit in healthy volunteers
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr W L Hasler
3912 Taubman Center, Box 0362, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; whasler{at}umich.edu
Background: Fibre treatment often produces gaseous symptoms which have been attributed to fermentation by colonic bacteria with increased gas production. Effects of fibre ingestion on intestinal gas flow are unexplored.
Aims: We aimed to test the hypothesis that consumption of a high fibre diet retards gas transit.
Subjects: Ten healthy volunteers participated.
Methods: To investigate the effects of fibre on gas dynamics, physiological gas mixtures were jejunally perfused at 12 ml/minx2 hours after a standard diet for seven days with and without psyllium 30 g/day in a crossover fashion. Gas was collected from an intrarectal catheter to bypass the anus and evacuation was quantified in real time using a barostat.
Results: On initiating gas perfusion under control conditions, an initial lag phase with no gas expulsion was observed (1129 (274) seconds). Thereafter, gas evacuation from the rectum proceeded with cumulative volumes of 1429 (108) ml by the end of the second hour. Evacuation was pulsatile with passage of 20.9 (2.5) boluses, with mean volumes of 68.2 (5.0) ml. Fibre prolonged the lag time (2265 (304) seconds; p<0.05) and reduced cumulative gas evacuation volumes (1022 (80) ml; p<0.05). Decreased gas evacuation resulted from reductions in the numbers of bolus passages (14.2 (1.1); p<0.05) but not bolus volumes (70.7 (3.4) ml; p = 0.66).
Conclusions: Consumption of a high fibre diet retards intestinal gas transit by decreasing bolus propulsion to the rectum. Thus, in addition to increasing gas production by colonic flora, fibre ingestion may elicit gaseous symptoms by promoting gas retention.
Abbreviations: IBS, irritable bowel syndrome
Keywords: Gas; bloating; dietary fibre; gastrointestinal transit; gastrointestinal motility
Relevant Article
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
Gut 2004 53: 1549.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Gonlachanvit, S., Coleski, R., Owyang, C., Hasler, W. L.
(2006). Nutrient modulation of intestinal gas dynamics in healthy humans: dependence on caloric content and meal consistency.. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol.
291: G389-G395
[Abstract] [Full Text]
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me if a correction is posted
- Citation Map
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
