title: Effect of resistant starch on breath-hydrogen and methane excretion in healthy volunteers.
abstract: Colonic fermentation of dietary carbohydrates and fiber might produce a protective effect against the development of large bowel cancer. Resistant starch, ie, starch that escapes small bowel digestion, is a candidate fermentable substrate that has been hitherto little studied. We supplemented 19 healthy volunteers with 15 g native amylomaize (Hylon-VII) three times a day, containing 28 g type II resistant starch, or with dextrins as a placebo for 7 d in a crossover design. Pre-experimentally, 11 subjects regularly produced breath methane and 8 did not. Resistant starch increased 24-h integrated excretion of breath hydrogen. The mean rise relative to placebo was 35% (P = 0.03) for all subjects and 60% for eight subjects not producing methane (P = 0.02). The 11 methane producers showed a 93% increase in breath-methane excretion on resistant starch (P = 0.03). Continued consumption of 28 g type II resistant starch/d is well tolerated and increases colonic fermentation in healthy volunteers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: van Munster
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Katan
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van Amelsvoort
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Nagengast
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D002149:Energy Intake; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012119:Respiration; D013213:Starch / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D011134:Polysaccharides; C008315:maltodextrin; D006859:Hydrogen; D013213:Starch; D008697:Methane