Colonic hydrogen absorption: quantification of its effect on hydrogen accumulation caused by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates.

Abstract

(1) colonic hydrogen absorption is highly effective at low colonic hydrogen accumulation rates, but not at higher accumulation rates; (2) ineffective colonic gas absorption is the consequence and not the cause of high colonic gas accumulation rate after ingestion of non-absorbable carbohydrates; and (3) future therapeutic approaches to the large interindividual variability in colonic gas accumulation after ingestion of poorly absorbable fermentable carbohydrates, such as some kinds of dietary fibres, should be directed towards altering colonic bacterial metabolism.