| |
|
|
-
Glucomannan prevents postprandial
hypoglycaemia in patients with previous gastric surgery.
Hopman WP, Houben PG, Speth PA, Lamers CB.
Division of Gastroenterology, Radboud Hospital, University of
Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Glucomannan (Propol), a potent gel forming dietary fibre, was
added to a carbohydrate rich breakfast in eight patients with
previous gastric surgery suffering from postprandial hypoglycaemia.
Addition of only 2.6 g and 5.2 g glucomannan to the meal dose
dependently improved reactive hypoglycaemia from 2.3 (0.2) mmol/l
to 3.3 (0.2) mmol/l (p less than 0.0005) after 2.6 g and 4.1
(0.2) mmol/l (p = 0.0005) after 5.2 g, and decreased postprandial
rise in plasma insulin (p less than 0.05). Expiratory breath
hydrogen excretion tended to decrease reflecting improvement
of carbohydrate metabolism. Addition of glucomannan to an intraduodenal
sucrose solution significantly raised plasma glucose nadirs,
indicating glucomannan to be effective during the intestinal
phase. It is concluded that small amounts of glucomannan may
be beneficial to patients with reactive postprandial hypoglycaemia,
without the disadvantage of unpalatability and carbohydrate
malabsorption.
|
|
|