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The Short-Term Effects and Tolerability of Low-Viscosity Soluble Fibre on Gastroparesis Patients: A Pilot Clinical Intervention Study.

  • 2021-11-28
  • Nutrients 13(12)
    • Harsha Suresh
    • Jerry Zhou
    • Vincent Ho

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Population
10 female participants with mild-to-moderate symptomatic gastroparesis (requiring no enteral tube feeding)
Methods
randomised controlled crossover pilot clinical study to compare Partially-hydrolysed guar gum (test fibre 1), gum Arabic (test fibre 2), psyllium husk (positive control) and water (negative control)
  • Rigorous Journal
Gastroparesis is a motility disorder that causes severe gastric symptoms and delayed gastric emptying, where the majority of sufferers are females (80%), with 29% of sufferers also diagnosed with Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes. Current clinical recommendations involve stringent dietary restriction and includes the avoidance and minimization of dietary fibre. Dietary fibre lowers the glycaemic index of food, reduces inflammation and provides laxation. Lack of dietary fibre in the diet can affect long-term gastrointestinal health. Our previously published rheological study demonstrated that "low-viscosity" soluble fibres could be a potentially tolerable source of fibre for the gastroparetic population. A randomised controlled crossover pilot clinical study was designed to compare Partially-hydrolysed guar gum or PHGG (test fibre 1), gum Arabic (test fibre 2), psyllium husk (positive control) and water (negative control) in mild-to-moderate symptomatic gastroparesis patients (requiring no enteral tube feeding). The principal aim of the study was to determine the short-term physiological effects and tolerability of the test fibres. In n = 10 female participants, post-prandial blood glucose, gastroparesis symptoms, and breath test measurements were recorded. Normalized clinical data revealed that test fibres PHGG and gum Arabic were able to regulate blood glucose comparable to psyllium husk, while causing far fewer symptoms, equivalent to negative control. The test fibres did not greatly delay mouth-to-caecum transit, though more data is needed. The study data looks promising, and a longer-term study investigating these test fibres is being planned.

Research Insights

Adverse Events Reported

  • Acacia→Overall tolerability

    test fibres PHGG and gum Arabic were able to regulate blood glucose comparable to psyllium husk, while causing far fewer symptoms, equivalent to negative control

    Finding
    Reported
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