Effect of Meal Viscosity on Postprandial Hyperglycemia in Patients Who Have Undergone Total Gastrectomy

Abstract

Blood glucose concentrations were measured two times in the same 7 patients who had undergone total gastrectomy 0, 20, 50, 80 and 120 min after two glucose meals (50 g of glucose and 100 ml of water), which on a double-blind basis contained 5 g of guar gum and 5 g of wheat flour in random order. The mean blood glucose concentration was significantly (p < 0.01–0.001) lower 20, 80 and 120 min after the meal containing guar gum than after the meal containing wheat flour. All patients except two (one 50 min and the other 80 and 120 min postprandially) had lower blood glucose concentrations after the meals containing guar gum than after the meals containing wheat flour. Three of four patients who used 5 g guar gum three times daily in their meals felt it benefical in preventing dumping-like symptoms. One got disturbing meteorism. It was concluded that guar gum decreased glucose absorption and prevented postprandial hyperglycemia in these total gastrectomy patients. Guar gum may facilitate the planning of diets for such patients.

Reduction of Postprandial Hyperglycemia by Guar Gum in Symptomatic Patients 5–10 Years following Proximal Selective Vagotomy

“…How ever, the mechanism of these symptoms is not clear and cannot be deduced directly from the changes in blood glucose concentration, which may serve only as an indi cator of the unknown mechanism behind these symp toms. Knowledge of the hyperglycemic effect of different foods, as accumulated for diabetics [20,21], might be valuable in giving dietary advice to patients with post prandial symptoms after proximal selective vagotomy. On the other hand, the mechanisms of abdominal pain in patients after proximal selective vagotomy can vary and the beneficial effect of guar gum and other dietary treatments preventing hyperglycemia may be limited to patients in whom gastric emptying and postprandial rises in blood glucose remain accelerated.…”