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Excretion of Breath and Flatus Gases by Humans Consuming High-Fiber Diets¹

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720

The abilities of dietary fibers to promote the excretion of intestinal fermentation gases were evaluated in five healthy men. Flatus and breath gases were collected and analyzed during 3 days of each 9-day metabolic period. Responses to feeding xylan, pectin, cellulose and corn bran were compared to a fiber-free formula diet. Generally, hydrogen production increased throughout the day, whereas methane production remained more constant. Methane excretion was greater while consuming the xylan and pectin diets than while consuming the other diets. These two purified fibers also caused higher flatus volume, hydrogen and carbon dioxide excretion. Cellulose and corn bran generally resulted in breath and flatus gas excretion at levels equivalent to the fiber-free diets. Considerable variation was noted in the response of subjects to an individual diet. However, in most cases 2–5 days of frequent and daily consumption of the diets was necessary to establish a relatively constant level of gas excretion. This time may represent the period of microbial and enzymatic adaptation to the new dietary constituents.

KEY WORDS: • flatus • humans • gases • pectin • xylan • cellulose • corn bran • fermentation • fiber

¹ Supported in part by NIH grant P01 AM 10202 and USDA grant 12-14-5001-290. Reported, in part, at the XII International Congress of Nutrition, August 16–21, 1981, San Diego, CA.

Manuscript received 30 October 1981.