Effect of dietary fiber (soy polysaccharide) on the severity, duration, and nutritional outcome of acute, watery diarrhea in children

Dietary fiber can reduce the duration of severe diarrhea in children. Of 34 Peruvian male infants between 2 and 24 months of age hospitalized with severe watery diarrhea, 19 were fed a soy-protein isolate, lactose-free formula with soy polysaccharide as a source of fiber and 15 were fed the same diet without added fiber. Although the added fiber did not affect stool output, macronutrient absorption or nutritional status during acute watery childhood diarrhea, soy polysaccharide reduced the duration of diarrhea significantly. Diarrhea lasted an average of 43 hours in the children on the fiber diet, compared to 163 hours in those on the fiber-free diet.