Inhibition of Starch Absorption by Dietary Fibre: A Comparative Study of Wheat Bran, Sugar-Beet Fibre, and Pea Fibre

The effect of dietary fibre on starch absorption was investigated in 8 healthy subjects. Amounts of starch escaping small-bowel absorption was assessed by comparison of breath H2 excretion after test meals and after lactulose (10g). After ingestion of bread made from 100g of wheat flour increases in H2 excretion occurred in all subjects; the calculated fractions of unabsorbed starch ranged from 4% to 17% (median, 8%). Concurrent ingestion of this bread with either wheat bran, sugar-beet fibre, or pea fibre increased the fraction of unabsorbed starch to 12.5% (5-22%) (p less than 0.05), 12.5% (5-20%) (p less than 0.01), and 12% (5-27%) (p less than 0.01), respectively. Bread made from 100 g of low-gluten wheat flour only escaped small-bowel absorption in three subjects with a maximal fraction of 6% (p less than 0.05). All three fibres decreased mouth-to-caecum transit time. We conclude that the dietary fibres used in this impaired the absorption of wheat starch and thereby increased the amount of starch-derived carbohydrate available for colonic fermentation.