Barley bran flour accelerates gastrointestinal transit time

The effect of barley bran flour on colon physiology was studied in 44 volunteers. Twenty-two subjects followed the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) step 1 diet supplemented with 20 g cellulose and the other 22 followed the NCEP diet supplemented with 30 g barley bran flour. To measure gastrointestinal transit time, subjects ingested 20 polyethylene pellets impregnated with barium sulfate in two gelatin capsules. Subjects collected fecal samples for 5 days during the baseline period and again during the period of fiber supplementation. Each stool sample was radiographed, and the number of recovered markers was used to calculate mean transit time. Daily fecal weights were recorded and dry weights were determined. The group that consumed barley bran flour significantly decreased transit time by 8.02 hours from baseline, whereas the group that consumed cellulose increased transit time by 2.95 hours from baseline. Similarly, cellulose supplementation did not result in increased fecal weight, whereas daily fecal weight increased significantly by 48.6 g with supplementation with barley bran flour. This study shows that barley bran flour accelerates gastrointestinal transit and increases fecal weight.