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Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Real-time Analysis of Gut-brain Neural Communication: Cortex wide Calcium Dynamics in Response to Intestinal Glucose Stimulation
Published on: December 29, 2023
Nutrition and Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction
Emidio Scarpellini1,2, Lukas Michaja Balsiger1, Bert Broeders1
1Translational Research in Gastrointestinal Disoerders (T.A.R.G.I.D.), Gasthuisberg University Hospital, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Lueven, Belgium.
Background:
Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) have a complex pathophysiology that is often characterized by a relationship between food ingestion and triggering of symptoms. Understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the role of nutrients as a therapeutic target are rapidly evolving.
Aims And Methods:
We performed a narrative review of the literature using the following keywords, their acronyms, and their associations: nutrients, disorders of gut-brain interaction; functional dyspepsia; malabsorption; irritable bowel syndrome; diarrhea; constipation.
Results:
Functional dyspepsia displayed a significant correlation between volume, fat and/or wheat abundance, chemical composition of ingested food and symptoms of early satiety, fullness and weight loss. Carbohydrate malabsorption is related to enzyme deficiency throughout the GI tract. Food composition and richness in soluble vs. non-soluble fibers is related to constipation and diarrhea. The elimination of fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) has a significant and non-unidirectional impact on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms.
Conclusions:
Food volume, nutritive and chemical composition, and its malabsorption are associated with symptom generation in DGBIs. Further multicenter, randomized-controlled clinical trials are needed to clarify the underlying pathophysiology.
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