Search

A recently developed three-compartment model for the absorption and elimination of ingested alcohol was applied to re-analyse a study on the effects of various factors known to influence the blood-alcohol curve. The absorption and elimination of alcohol after drinking diluted alcohol were studied in healthy volunteers under strictly standardized conditions. The factors studied were sex, dose, concentration, physical exercise, meal consumption before drinking, energy content and composition of the meal, and time of drinking in relation to meal consumption. Gastric emptying and absorption from the small intestine were assumed to be first-order, and a possible delay (or acceleration) of gastric emptying was accounted for by a feedback-control parameter. The elimination process was assumed to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Clear effects were observed of sex and dose, and aspects of meal consumption on absorption and elimination of alcohol. The ingestion of a meal prior to the intake of alcohol reduced both the gastric emptying rate and absorption efficiency of alcohol, increased the gastric emptying delay and reduced the rate of elimination. The absorption efficiency was even lower when the alcohol was consumed during the meal instead of after the meal. Using alcohol during the meal accelerated gastric emptying and reduced absorption efficiency as well as rate of elimination. High-fat meals resulted in the highest gastric emptying rate and rate of absorption from the small intestine, whereas high-protein and high-sucrose meals resulted in the lowest gastric emptying rate. Simultaneous consumption of a high-sucrose meal and alcohol increased gastric emptying delay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Twelve young adult male volunteers were given a low-fibre white bread diet (9 g neutral-detergent fibre (NDF)/d) and a medium-fibre coarse-bran bread diet (22 g NDF/d), each lasting 20 d. In a third period of 20 d the volunteers were subdivided in groups of four, consuming a high-fibre coarse-bran bread diet (35 g NDF/d), a medium-fibre fine-bran diet (22 g NDF/d, bran particle size greater than 0.35 mm) or a wholemeal bread diet (22 g NDF/d). Digestion of dietary fibre and its components hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were determined as well as colonic function. An increase of the amount of dietary fibre (through bran in bread) from 9 to 22 g NDF/d resulted in the following significant changes (P less than 0.01): increase in faecal wet weight of 63 g/d, decrease in the percentage of faecal dry weight from 27 to 24, increase in defaecation frequency of 0.2 stools/d and reduction of the intestinal transit time of 36 h. Further significant changes with regard to all factors mentioned were observed during the high-fibre diet. Faecal wet weight was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower with the fine-bran bread diet than with the coarse-bran bread on a similar fibre intake of 22 g NDF/d. Results obtained in the wholemeal-bread period did not show significant differences compared with those from the coarse-bran bread period of 22 g NDF/d. Mean digestibilities for the fibre from bread were: for NDF 0.34, for hemicellulose 0.46, for cellulose 0.20 and for lignin 0.04. The results obtained suggest that the theory of sponge activity of the fibre matrix structure is the predominant factor accounting for the water binding capacity of fibre in the colon.

To investigate the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on blood constituents related to cardiovascular disease, 12 male volunteers consumed (instead of their usual alcoholic drinks) four different standardized amounts of red wine in addition to their habitual diet. Each dose was given to the subjects during a period of 5 weeks in a randomized order, all subjects receiving the four doses. They consisted of 0, 2, and 4 glasses/d, providing 0, 23, and 46 g alcohol/d as well as in "binge drinking" (14 glasses in the weekend, comparable to an average of 2 glasses/d). The results showed a clear dose-related response to the drinking for several blood constituents. Most marked was a decrease in the tissue-type plasminogen activator activity and to a lesser degree an increase in plasminogen levels. Collagen-induced platelet aggregation was reduced, affecting all parameters measured. Levels of HDL3-cholesterol, gammaglutamyltransferase, and urate showed a small but significant increase. No change was noted in the levels of alkaline phosphatase, alanine-aminotransferase, aspartate-aminotransferase, bile acids, folate, fibrinogen, the ADP-induced platelet aggregation, platelet secretion, or in hematologic values. The results are only partially in accordance with the presumed protective action of moderate drinking on the cardiovascular system and show a stronger response to the consumption of alcohol in coagulation and fibrinolysis factors than in blood lipids.

In a metabolic ward 12 healthy male subjects consumed mixed Western (M), lacto-ovovegetarian (L), and vegan (V) diets in a randomized order for 20 d each. The concentrations of deoxycholic acid, isolithocholic acid, and total bile acids in 4-d composites of feces on the L and V diets were significantly lower than on the M diet. The chenodeoxycholic-to-isolithocholic plus lithocholic acid ratio was significantly higher on the V diet. The concentrations of coprostanol and of coprostanol plus cholesterol were highest on M diet and lowest on V diet. The number of fecal lactobacilli and enterococci on the V diet was significantly lower than on the M or the L diets. This study showed a decrease in the concentration of fecal (secondary) bile acids by the L and the V diets and an alteration of the fecal flora composition by the V diet.

The increasing availability of palatable soya bean protein materials for use in human foods raises the question of possible effects on the health and well-being of the consumer. On the basis of available evidence, no unfavourable effects are to be expected, but apart from nitrogen balance investigations, systematic human experiments with these novel foods are scarce. Therefore, we carried out a large-scale experiment covering many physiological and health aspects. Two diets were compared in 4 + 4 weeks cross-over design with 92 healthy volunteers. One diet contained a wide variety of soya protein foods (test diet), about 25% of the protein intake being from soya, the other (control) diet contained similar products made from conventional protein sources. The diets were given in two identical menu cycles. Blood, urine and feces were sampled at the end of each period. Health status and subjective reactions were monitored throughout. About 90 out of the more than 100 parameters investigated did not show any difference. Statistically significant reactions to the diet composition were found in the following areas: of the blood serum enzymes, alkaline phosphatase was higher after consumption of the test diet, while serum inorganic phosphate showed a decrease. The higher magnesium content of the soya protein materials was reflected by an increase in fecal excretion, and in serum levels in the fed state. Fasting serum levels, however, were lower on the soya diet. Measurement of the intestinal noise indicated that more intestinal gas was produced on the test diet; this was confirmed by reports from the volunteers. Immunological tests showed that the females had increased IgA and soya specific IgE levels on the test diet, but no indications for allergenicity were found. All the mentioned effects were well within normal physiological ranges and do not indicate unfavourable trends. We conclude, that these results confirm the prevailing view that soya bean protein materials are acceptable ingredients for our daily food.

The influence of several factors on the blood alcohol course after drinking diluted ethanol was studied in young, healthy volunteers under strictly standardized conditions. These factors were sex, dose and concentration of the alcohol, physical exercise immediately after drinking, meal consumption before drinking and energy content and composition of the meal. In 18 blood samples, taken within 6 hr after alcohol ingestion, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was determined enzymatically. Concomitantly breath analyses were performed. In general, both methods gave similar results. Peak concentration and area under the blood alcohol curve increased with increasing dose. With the same amount of ethanol, peak concentration and area under the curve tended to be greater in women than in men. Consumption of a meal had an attenuating effect. The area under the curve was smaller after a high-energy meal than after a low-energy meal. Peak concentration depended on meal composition, increasing in the order high protein less than high sucrose = high complex carbohydrate less than high fat. A similar trend was observed for the area under the blood alcohol curve.