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Guar gum does not impair the absorption and utilization of dietary nitrogen but affects early endogenous urea kinetics in humans^1,2

¹ From the UMR INRA-INAPG de Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement Alimentaire, Paris, and the Service d'Hepato-Gastroentérologie, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, France.

Background: Viscous gums enhance viscosity in the upper gastrointestinal lumen, quickly disturbing motility and promoting fluid secretion.

Objective: We sought to determine whether guar gum could acutely affect the absorption and utilization of dietary nitrogen and whether these luminal effects could also perturb the kinetics of urea.

Design: We studied the short-term effect of adding 1% of highly viscous guar gum to a ¹⁵N-labeled protein meal (30 g soy protein isolate in 500 mL water) during the postprandial phase in humans. The effects on bioavailability were studied by using the [¹³C]glycine breath test (to assess gastric emptying) and ¹⁵N enrichment in plasma amino acids (for systemic amino acid bioavailability). The kinetics of dietary and endogenous urea were assessed in plasma and urine.

Results: Guar gum modulated the gastric emptying kinetics of the liquid phase of the meal slightly (P < 0.05), but had no significant effect on either the systemic appearance of dietary amino acids or plasma and urinary dietary urea kinetics. Without significantly affecting plasma urea concentrations, guar gum reduced by 40% the urinary excretion of endogenous urea for the first 2-h period after the meal (P < 0.01), although endogenous urinary excretion was similar at later stages.

Conclusions: Guar gum did not significantly affect the bioavailability or utilization of dietary protein. We showed an early effect of guar gum on endogenous urea kinetics, which most probably arose from very early, short-term stimulation of the intestinal disposal of endogenous urea, at the expense of its urinary excretion.

Key Words: Guar gum • dietary nitrogen • urea kinetics • amino acids • intestinal absorption • dietary protein • protein metabolism • dietary fiber • viscosity

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