Pilot study of the efficacy of spent grain dietary fiber in the treatment of constipation.

Spent grain is the crude fiber obtained by decanting the fermented distillate of barley. The spent grain was processed to yield dietary fiber composed of: cellulose and hemicellulose 65.6% (by weight), lignin 5.2%, pectin 2.2%, protein 10.9% and lipid 8.0%. Biscuits and scones were prepared by 25% substitution of wheat flour by fiber, yielding 7 to 8 g fiber per biscuit/scone. Nineteen ambulatory patients with chronic, laxative-dependent constipation were treated in a pilot study for 4 weeks with 20 to 25 g fiber daily. Fifteen patients (79%) showed improvement in some or all of five factors, while four patients were largely unresponsive to fiber. Specific symptoms improved as follows: bowel movement frequency in 15 patients (79%), flatulence in 12 (63%), abdominal pain in 10 (53%), stool consistency in 8 (42%) and laxative dependence in 14 (74%). A 4-week post-treatment follow-up showed a return to prefiber status in 11 of 13 improved subjects. This preliminary study suggests a role for spent grain fiber in the treatment of constipated patients, and a comparative study with placebo and wheat fiber is now warranted.