Influence of substrate supply to the colon on bowel habit and the amount and composition of stool output

Abstract

The current dietary recommendations aim to increase the complex carbohydrate component of the diet, in order to increase daily stool weight and decrease the risk of cancer of the colon and other diseases associated with the large bowel. Colonic bacteria ferment dietary carbohydrate, non-starch polysaccharide (NSP), resistant starch (RS) and other fermentable substrates delivered to the colon, stimulating colonic bacterial growth. The aim of this research was to determine to what extent colonic bacterial activity and stool output may be influenced by the supply of different types of fermentable substrate to the colon.

It has been possible to isolate faecal bacteria and demonstrate that colonic bacterial activity may be altered, by dietary manipulation, according to the type and amount of fermentable substrate delivered to the colon. Whilst it has been demonstrated that stool output may be increased with an increase in the intake of fermentable substrate in the diet, this is not necessarily due to an increase in the excretion of bacteria within stool, even though colonic fermentation of substrate may be indicated. Stool output and the proportion of stool attributable to bacteria may be reduced, however, by eliminating the intake of fermentable substrate in the diet.

These findings demonstrate that the bacterial component of stool is inherently controlled within certain limits and may only be altered under extreme conditions. (DX192448)

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