Effectiveness of dietary fibre during remission following surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis

Patients with watery diarrhoea and frequent stools during remission following surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis were given Sunny Mild®, a dietary fibre derived from apples, in order to stabilize stool condition and reduce stool frequency. To assess the effects of dietary fibre on regeneration of the intestinal epithelium, levels of diamine oxidase (DAO) were measured as an indicator for morphological changes in small intestinal villi. When patients ingested 9 g/day dietary fibre, stool frequency significantly declined, from 10.3 ± 3.6 to 5.6 ± 1.1 (mean ± s.d.) times a day, and at the same time stool consistency improved from watery or muddy to soft. Before ingestion of dietary fibre, serum DAO levels were 2.0 units/l, which improved significantly to 6.6 units/l after ingestion. By contrast, in healthy controls the change was insignificant, from 6.7 ± 0.7 units/l to 6.8 ± 0.9 (mean ± s.d.) units/l. These results confirm that before using dietary fibre, patient DAO activity levels were only one-half that of controls, whereas after ingestion they rose to almost normal levels. These results indicate that giving a patient dietary fibre is extremely effective in alleviating watery diarrhoea and frequency of stools during remission following surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis. It restores decreased DAO activity to normal levels, which is an important indicator of morphological change in small intestinal villi. It also improves stool consistency and reduces stool frequency.