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Wheat fiber and laxation: dose response and equilibration time.
D J Jenkins1, R D Peterson, M J Thorne
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|December 1, 1987
Summary
Increasing dietary fiber from wheat cereals significantly boosts fecal output in healthy adults. A dose-response study found each gram of fiber increased stool weight by 2.7 grams, aiding constipation management.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Human Nutrition
- Dietary Fiber Research
Background:
- Constipation is a common gastrointestinal issue.
- Dietary fiber plays a crucial role in bowel regularity.
- Understanding the dose-response relationship of specific fibers is important for therapeutic use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dose-response relationship between soft white winter wheat fiber intake and fecal output in healthy volunteers.
- To determine the impact of varying fiber amounts on daily fecal weight.
Main Methods:
- Healthy volunteers consumed breakfasts with controlled amounts of wheat fiber cereal for 14 days.
- Six different fiber intake levels were tested, ranging from 0.3 g to 28.4 g per day.
- Dietary intake, excluding the wheat fiber cereal, remained constant.
Main Results:
- A significant linear dose-response was observed between fiber intake and fecal output (r = 0.983, p < 0.01).
- Each 1-g increase in daily wheat fiber intake resulted in a mean 2.7-g increase in fecal weight.
- The effect on fecal output was independent of the volunteers' baseline fecal weight and plateaued after one week.
Conclusions:
- Graded amounts of soft white winter wheat fiber effectively increase fecal output.
- Wheat fiber shows potential as a dietary intervention for managing constipation.
- This study provides quantitative data supporting the use of cereal fiber for improving bowel function.