L. Benini et al., GASTRIC-EMPTYING OF A SOLID MEAL IS ACCELERATED BY THE REMOVAL OF DIETARY FIBER NATURALLY PRESENT IN FOOD, Gut, 36(6), 1995, pp. 825-830
Exogenous fibre added to liquid meals delays gastric emptying. Its eff
ect on solid meals is uncertain, and nothing is known of the effect on
gastric emptying of fibre naturally present in food, This study there
fore looked at gastric emptying of two different solid meals in eight
healthy subjects and their blood glucose responses. The meals were exa
ctly equivalent except for the total dietary fibre content (high fibre
20 g, low fibre 4 g of dietary fibre per 1000 kcal) and supplied 870
kcal (700 kcal women), 47% of which was from carbohydrates, 36% from f
ats, and 17% from proteins. Ultrasonography was used to measure antral
diameters before the meal (basal), immediately after it (time 0), and
at 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 minutes. In addition, subjects fill
ed in a questionnaire on their feelings of hunger, epigastric fullness
, and satiety before the meal and at hourly intervals after it. Basal
and maximal postprandial antral sections were similar for the two meal
s (basal section: 283.9 (29.5) v 340.9 (44.7) mm(2) for the low and th
e high fibre meal, NS; maximal postprandial section: 1726 (101.9) v 15
93 (120.4) mm(2), NS). Total gastric emptying time was significantly r
educed by fibre removal (186.0 (15.6) v 231.7 (17.3) minutes after the
low and the high fibre meal, p<0.05). Blood glucose was higher after
the low fibre meal, and the area under the glycaemic curve significant
ly greater (226 (23.1) v 160 (20.0) mmol/min/dl(-1), p<0.05). No diffe
rence was found in satiety or fullness feelings, but hunger returned m
ore rapidly after the low fibre meal. In conclusion, fibre naturally p
resent in food delays gastric emptying of a solid meal, reduces the gl
ycaemic response, and delays the return of hunger.