Effect of nondigestible oligosaccharides on large-bowel functions, blood lipid concentrations and glucose absorption in young healthy male subjects

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: van Dokkum, W, Wezendonk, B, Srikumar, TS, van den Heuvel, EGHM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing 01.01.1999; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Absorption; administration & dosage; Adult; analysis; beta-glucosidase; beta-Glucosidase - analysis; beta-glucuronidase; bile acids; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood Chemical Analysis; blood lipids; chemistry; Dietary Fiber; Dietary Fiber - administration & dosage; Dietary Fiber - metabolism; dietary supplements; digestibility; Double-Blind Method; Eating; enzyme activity; enzymology; Excretory system; Feces; Feces - chemistry; Feces - enzymology; fermentation; gastrointestinal motility; Glucose; Glucose - pharmacokinetics; Glucose Tolerance Test; Glucuronidase; Glucuronidase - analysis; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Intestinal Absorption; Intestine, Large; Intestine, Large - physiology; inulin; large intestine; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Men; metabolism; Netherlands; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement; oligosaccharides; Oligosaccharides - administration & dosage; Oligosaccharides - metabolism; oxygenases; pharmacokinetics; physiology; short chain fatty acids; steroids; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tryptophanase; Tryptophanase - analysis; urease; Urease - analysis; weight; Young adults; Netherlands; Human; Concentration factor; Healthy subject; Large intestin; Oligosaccharide; Lipids; Male; Glucose; Blood; Ingestion; Absorption; Young adult; Physiology
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600668

To study the effect of the intake of 15 g nondigestible oligosaccharides per day on various parameters of large-bowel function, as well as on blood lipid concentrations and glucose absorption in man. Latin square, randomized, double-blind, diet-controlled. Metabolic research unit. Twelve apparently healthy men (mean age 23 years), recruited from the Institute's pool of volunteers, no drop-outs. Four treatment periods of 3 weeks: inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and control; analyses of stool weight, intestinal transit, faecal pH, short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, faecal enzymes, blood lipids and glucose absorption. As compared to the control treatment: higher concentration of faecal acetate (inulin and GOS, P < 0.05) and valerate (inulin, P < 0.05), significantly lower concentration of faecal deoxycholic acid (inulin and FOS, P < 0.05 and P< 0.02, respectively) and beta-glucuronidase activity (inulin and GOS, P < 0.05 and P < 0.02 respectively). Other changes of faecal parameters and those of blood lipids and glucose absorption were statistically not significant. RESULTS indicate that nondigestible oligosaccharides are (partly) fermented in the human colon, but in healthy young men the effects are limited. Also the consumption of 15 g nondigestible oligosaccharides does not seem to alter blood lipid concentrations and glucose absorption in our young healthy adults.