Wheat Bran Particle Size and Gastrointestinal Function

Abstract

This study concerns the effects of coarse and fine particle size wheat bran on gastrointestinal transit time. The grinding of wheat bran to a fine particle state affects many of its physical characteristics. Water-holding capacity is one such feature that is directly involved in the performance of bran in the gut. Variations in the degree of grinding affect the ability of bran to absorb water, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of bran as a bulking agent and decreases gut motility. Gas solid chromatography was employed to measure transit time.