High-viscosity liquid meal accelerates gastric emptying.

Shimoyama, Y.; Kusano, M.; Kawamura, O.; Zai, H.; Kuribayashi, S.; Higuchi, T.; Nagoshi, A.; Maeda, M.; Mori, M.

Adding pectin to an elemental formula increases its viscosity through gelatinization, thus presumably preventing gastro-oesophageal reflux and aspiration pneumonia. We investigated the influence of the viscosity of an elemental formula on gastric emptying. Eleven healthy volunteers underwent three tests at intervals of >1 week. After fasting for >8 h, each subject received a test meal (enteral nutrition solution, enteral solution plus pectin, or water). Then gastric emptying (continuous 13C breath test), gastro-oesophageal intraluminal pressures, oesophageal pH, and blood levels of glucose, insulin and gastrin were all measured simultaneously. The gastric emptying coefficient was significantly increased by adding pectin to enteral nutrition (3.01 ± 0.10 vs 2.78 ± 0.10, mean ± SE, P −1 and 448 ± 173 vs 2.3 ± 2.3 mmHg s−1 respectively; P −1, P < 0.05). In healthy individuals, pectin increased the viscosity of enteral nutrition and accelerated gastric emptying.

PECTINS; GASTROINTESTINAL motility; MALNUTRITION; GELATION; ASPIRATION pneumonia

Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 2007, Vol 19, Issue 11, p879

1350-1925

Academic Journal

10.1111/j.1365-2982.2007.00972.x