Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2001 ; 10(1): 67-8.

Focused gut-mucosal nutrition for diarrhoeal disease: improved nutrient therapy.

Roediger WE, Millard SH, Bird AR.

Department of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, Australia. [email protected]

The main substrates fuelling ion absorption in the mucosa of the small intestine and large intestine are respectively glutamine and short-chain fatty acids. Measurements now reported showed that derivation of both glutamine and fibre for short-chain fatty acid production can be achieved from a single foodstuff--macerated groundnuts. Macerated groundnuts may be more suitable as an additive in oral rehydration solutions for promoting ion absorption than other agents that are low either in glutamine or fibre, such as rice water or resistant starch.