Abnormal gut fermentation: Laboratory studies reveal deficiency of B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium

Gut permeability has been studied in patients with either food intolerance or abnormal gut fermentation as well as in normal subjects. Permeability was measured by polyethylene glycol absorption, and the reasons for this choice of probe are discussed. Results show that both symptomatic groups have statistically very highly significant deviations from the normal (pv0.01), consisting of over-absorption, significant at molecular weights 242, 286, 330 and 374. Whilst both study groups were different from the normal they were not different from each other. The implications for these findings in the diagnosis and management of food intolerance and abnormal gut fermentation are discussed.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…A previous study shows low body levels of B vitamins, zinc and magnesium in patients with AGF [8], a finding which is not likely to be due to any dietary deficiency, but may well relate to altered gut permeability. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of intestinal permeability to patients with AGF or food intolerance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Gut Permeability Measured by Polyethylene Glycol Absorption in Abnormal Gut Fermentation as Compared with Food Intolerance

Eaton

Howard²,

Howard

2004

“…A number of such patients have an excess of urinary b -alanine excretion [5], which again is not present in patients with food intolerance. Other studies have shown that patients with FTD show reduced levels of B vitamins, zinc and magnesium [6], increased gut permeability [4], lowered urinary histidine excretion [7] and a high incidence of elevated breath hydrogen levels [8]. In these studies, there are no signi cant differences between an FTD group and one with food intolerance, although both have a high incidence of abnormality as compared with healthy controls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…One hour later, blood was drawn and the following fermentation products were measured: ethanol, methanol, 2-propanol, 1-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-butanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-ethyl-1-butanol, 2,3-butylene glycol and the short-chain fatty acids acetate, proprionate, butyrate, succinate and valerate. As the detailed methodology has been extensively reviewed elsewhere [4,6,8], it is not reproduced here.…”

Section: Laboratory Test Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gastric Acid Production, Pancreatic Secretions and Blood Levels of Higher Alcohols in Patients with Fungal-type Dysbiosis of the Gut

Eaton¹,

Gaier

Howard³

et al. 2002

Purpose: Patients with gut dysbioses are clinically dif cult to distinguish from those with food intolerance. The variety known as fungal-type is associated with the generation of small amounts of ethanol in the blood. A recent study has shown abnormalities of histidine metabolism. In view of this, gastric function was studied. This also provided data on pancreatic function. Design: Two groups of newly referred patients, with similar symptom pro les, attending two clinicians were studied. Group A (42 patients) had positive ethanol fermentation tests: group B (37 patients) did not. There were 20 healthy control subjects. Levels of higher alcohols, short-chain fatty acids, gastric acid production and pancreatic exocrine secretions were measured and compared statistically. Materials and Methods: Ethanol, higher alcohols and short-chain fatty acids were measured by gas-liquid chromatography. Gastric acid production, emptying time and pancreatic function were measured using a swallowed transducer. Results: A signi cant number of group A patients had elevated levels of higher alcohols;all of these also showed excess short-chain fatty acids. Group B patients showed similar ndings for both; these gures were not statistically signi cant. However, as compared with group B, group A patients were less likely to show lower levels of gastric acid and/or pancreatic enzyme production and these results were statistically highly signi cant. Conclusions: As these ndings show minimal effects on stomach and duodenum, it is suggested that fungal-type dysbiosis is largely an ileal condition. For these patients, the presence of elevated levels of higher alcohols with a positive ethanol test is a better indicator of disease severity.

“…This measures blood ethanol (often regarded as a yeast product but see below), higher alcohols and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). This has been extensively reviewed in our previous publications [4,5,[7][8][9] and therefore detailed methodology will not be given here. However, it can be noted that the data on SCFA should be the topic of a future publication.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Lactulose Breath Hydrogen Measurements with Gut Fermentation Profiles in Patients with Fungal‐type Dysbiosis

Eaton

Chan²,

Howard

et al. 2004

Purpose: Fungal-type dysbiosis (FTD) is still an unproven diagnosis. Patients are polysymptomatic, but most have symptoms of irritable bowel. Treatment, using a diet low in fermentable, yeasty and mould-containing foods with or without antifungal drugs, is often rewarding. Patients with FTD show elevated blood ethanol levels after fasting glucose challenge. Because of this most authors suggest a fungal cause. Hydrogen generation is a bacterial fermentation product and would only be expected if a bacterial cause was present. It was therefore decided to correlate ethanol and hydrogen production. Design: Statistical comparison of ethanol producers and non-producers with respect to breath hydrogen and symptomatology. Materials and Methods: The gut fermentation profile was performed by gas-liquid chromatography, and measured ethanol, a number of higher alcohols and short-chain fatty acids. Lactulose breath hydrogen estimations were by gas chromatography. Statistics were calculated using Pearson's rank correlation and the chi-squared test, using Microsoft Excel packages. Results: Two groups were studied. The first produced excess ethanol (n~18) and the second (n~20) did not. Both groups included patients producing hydrogen. There was no statistical correlation between levels of ethanol and hydrogen production. Conclusions: If FTD is solely due to yeasts, our ethanol positive group should not produce hydrogen, solely a bacterial ferment, but the ethanol negative group should. If the conventional view, that yeasts do not produce hydrogen as a fermentation product, is correct, it appears from the commonness of breath hydrogen positives in this series that bacterial fermentation is in some way implicated in FTD.