Abstract
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.
Highlights
Gastroparesis is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder where sufferers experience reduced stomach functionality with no mechanical obstructions, delayed gastric emptying and debilitating symptoms [1]
This can be contrasted to the lower mean normalized blood glucose peaks at 30 min for the test fibres partially-hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) (3.9 mMol/L), gum Arabic (4.1 mMol/L) and test fibre psyllium husk (3.9 mMol/L)
The data presented in this clinical study demonstrates that the “lowviscosity” soluble fibres PHGG and gum Arabic may be viable dietary supplements for mild-to-moderate symptom gastroparesis patients
Summary
Gastroparesis is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder where sufferers experience reduced stomach functionality with no mechanical obstructions, delayed gastric emptying and debilitating symptoms [1]. Symptoms associated with gastroparesis include nausea, retching, post-prandial fullness, early satiety, bloating and distention [2]. The onset of gastroparesis typically begins in adolescence, with a substantial number of patients developing gastroparesis after major gastrointestinal trauma such as infection, surgery, or physical injury [4,5]. Idiopathic gastroparesis has significant reported co-morbidity with Type-1/Type-2 diabetes, with 29% patients suffering from a type of gastroparesis known as “diabetic gastroparesis” [6]. A smaller subset of gastroparesis is associated with neurological and vascular disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, EhlersDanlos syndrome and multiple sclerosis [7,8,9]. Since gastroparesis currently has no known cure, gastroparesis symptoms are managed through a combination of dietary modification and medication [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
