Jessica R Biesiekierski

Monash University (Australia)

Wholegrain grains and cereals contain a wide range of potentially protective factors that are relevant to gastrointestinal health. The prebiotics best studied are fructans [fructooligosaccharides (FOS), inulin] and galactooligosaccharides (GOS). These and other short-chain carbohydrates can also be poorly absorbed in the small intestine (named ferm...

Despite increased prescription of a gluten-free diet for gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals who do not have celiac disease, there is minimal evidence that suggests that gluten is a trigger. The aims of this study were to determine whether gluten ingestion can induce symptoms in non-celiac individuals and to examine the mechanism. A double-bli...

Reduction of short-chain poorly absorbed carbohydrates (FODMAPs) in the diet reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In the present study, we aimed to compare the patterns of breath hydrogen and methane and symptoms produced in response to diets that differed only in FODMAP content. Fifteen healthy subjects and 15 with IBS (Rome III cri...

Taste receptors are located on the epithelial surface throughout the alimentary canal to identify nutrients and potential toxins. In the oral cavity, the role of taste is to encourage or discourage ingestion, while in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the taste receptors help the body prepare for an appropriate response to the ingested foods. The GI...

Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a heterogeneous disorder of gut‐brain interaction (DGBI) maintained by interacting biological, psychological, and social processes. Interestingly, there are two contrasting yet evidence‐based treatment approaches for reducing IBS symptoms: exclusion diets such as those low in fermentable oligo‐, di‐, mon...

Background/aims: The 3-phase fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet has shown a high level of efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome, largely based on dietitian delivered education. However, access to dietitians can be limited, and challenges exist when applying the diet to a wide range of cultures, such as limited FODM...

There is concern that use of restrictive therapeutic diets, such as those used in disorders of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI), may increase disordered eating. In this issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Burton Murray et al. and Peters et al. both demonstrate a high prevalence of disordered eating in patients with gastrointestinal conditi...

LINKED CONTENT This article is linked to Wu et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16812 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16975

The low FODMAP diet has shifted therapeutic guidelines for symptom management in irritable bowel syndrome. Given FODMAPs are involved in underlying pathological mechanisms of visceral hypersensitivity, research groups are exploring the use of the low-FODMAP diet as a potential management approach in several conditions outside of irritable bowel syn...

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gut-brain axis with a prevalence of 3.5% in Australia. The complexity of mechanisms underlying IBS means patients often respond poorly to treatment. There is encouraging evidence for the successful use of dietary strategies for short- and long-term management of IBS. Objective: The...

Background FODMAPs produce similar small bowel water and colonic gas in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and healthy controls (HCs), despite IBS patients reporting increased gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Aim To unravel the mechanisms underlying FODMAP‐induced symptom reporting, we investigated gut and brain responses to fructan admin...

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore nutrition professionals' perspectives of nutrition graduates' employability skills, and knowledge and skills required in the industry to understand gaps in undergraduate nutrition curriculum. Methods: Nutrition professionals (n = 26) across Australia were approached to participate in semi-structured inte...

Scope: Because epithelial barrier dysfunction has been associated with gluten and FODMAPs, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of alterations in FODMAP intake and blinded, placebo-controlled gluten re-challenge on epithelial barrier function in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who self-reported gluten sensitivity. Methods and resu...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder with a worldwide prevalence of 11%. It is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of underlying unique pathology. The condition is associated with poor quality of life and high use of healthcare resources required for management...

Background: Interoceptive properties of food may influence emotional state and its neural basis, as shown for fatty acids but remains unstudied for carbohydrates. Objectives: To study the effects of fructose and its interaction with sad emotion on brain activity in homeostatic and hedonic regions and investigate whether gut hormone responses can ex...

Human nutrition is a growing field with an increasing job market and high demand for university study, yet graduates report feeling underprepared for and unaware of potential job opportunities. This scoping review aimed to identify employment initiatives used in undergraduate programs to support an evidence-based approach to the development of futu...

Human nutrition is a growing field with an increasing job market and high demand for university study, yet graduates report feeling underprepared for and unaware of potential job opportunities. This scoping review aimed to identify employment initiatives used in undergraduate programs to support an evidence-based approach to the development of futu...

Introduction: Dietary measures are often advised to patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols (FODMAPs) induce lower gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. However, their effects on esophageal motility, including transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs), reflux events and...

Personalised nutrition approaches provide healthy eating advice tailored to the nutritional needs of the individual[...]

Food intolerances are estimated to affect up to 20% of the population but complete understanding of diagnosis and management is complicated, given presentation and non-immunological mechanisms associated vary greatly. This review aims to provide a scientific update on common food intolerances resulting in gastrointestinal and/or extra-intestinal sy...

Background: Subliminal intragastric fatty acid infusion attenuates subjective and brain responses to negative emotion induction. However, the underlying gut-brain signaling mechanisms remain unclear, and it is unknown whether such effect equally applies to positive emotion. Objective: We aimed to investigate the interaction between fatty acid-in...

Dietary intervention is a challenge in clinical practice because of inter-individual variability in clinical response. Gut microbiota is mechanistically relevant for a number of disease states and consequently has been incorporated as a key variable in personalised nutrition models within the research context. This paper aims to review the evidence...

Linked Content This article is linked to Rotondo et al and Camelleri papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15195 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15206.

Background Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inactivates glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1). Whether DPP‐4 inhibition affects GLP‐1 metabolism and/or food intake in humans remains unknown. Aims To evaluate the effect of vildagliptin (DPP‐4 inhibitor) on gastric accommodation and ad libitum food intake in healthy volunteers (HVs) Methods The effects of...

The role of food in the development of symptoms experienced within functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) is well recognised. This review aims to describe the evidence base for dietary interventions in the different functional esophageal, duodenal and bowel disorders. Randomised controlled trials are lacking for many of the FGIDs, with the e...

The spectrum of gluten-related disorders includes coeliac disease (CD), wheat allergy (WA) and the suggested entity of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). An increasing number of the world’s population are avoiding gluten due to the assumption of health benefits and self-diagnosed gastrointestinal and/or extra-intestinal symptoms. Unlike CD and...

Background: Activation of gastrointestinal (GI) sweet taste receptors by caloric sweeteners triggers secretion of anorexigenic and inhibition of orexigenic GI hormones to regulate food intake. The effect of noncaloric sweeteners on these mechanisms is controversial. We have recently shown that motilin-induced gastric phase III contractions signal...

Objectives: Intragastric bitter tastants may decrease appetite and food intake. We aimed to investigate the gut-brain signaling and brain mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods: Brain responses to intragastric quinine-hydrochloride (QHCl, 10 µmol/kg) or placebo infusion were recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging in 15 health...

Background Motilin plasma concentrations are positively correlated with hunger ratings during the fasting state. Moreover, the motilin agonist erythromycin stimulates meal requests. Objectives The first aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of erythromycin on ad libitum food intake. The second aim was to study the involvement of endogenous m...

Background: Perception of diarrhea and constipation differs greatly. This study aimed to correlate subjective and objective assessment of fecal characteristics in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. Methods: Data from two interventional dietary trials with varying FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Poly...

Background: The low fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyol (FODMAP) diet is a treatment strategy to reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Acute effects of FODMAPs on upper gastrointestinal motility are incompletely understood. Our objectives were to assess the acute effects of intragastric FODMAP infusions on upper gastr...

Introduction and aim There is accumulating evidence for the benefit of a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) for the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. Whether FODMAPs alter the upper GI response to nutrients, including gastric accommodation (GA), remains to be assessed....

Gluten is the main storage protein of wheat grains. Gluten is a complex mixture of hundreds of related but distinct proteins, mainly gliadin and glutenin. Similar storage proteins exist as secalin in rye, hordein in barley, and avenins in oats and are collectively referred to as “gluten.” The objective was to discuss the biochemical and functional...

Background: Denatonium benzoate (DB) has been shown to influence ongoing ingestive behavior and gut peptide secretion. Objective: We studied how the intragastric administration of DB affects interdigestive motility, motilin and ghrelin plasma concentrations, hunger and satiety ratings, and food intake in healthy volunteers. Design: Lingual bitter...

Introduction: Intragastric administration of bitter tastants decreases hunger ratings in the fasted state. Activation of bitter taste receptors can alter ghrelin levels, a gut hormone which increases hunger in between meals and becomes active after octanoylation. This indicates a potential role for bitter agonists in the regulation of appetite and...

Introduction and aim There is accumulating evidence for the benefit of a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) for the management of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Whether FODMAPs alter the upper GI response to nutrients, including gastric accommodation, remains to be assessed. The object...

The avoidance of wheat- and gluten-containing products is a worldwide phenomenon. While coeliac disease is well-established, much remains unknown about whether gluten can be a trigger of gastrointestinal and/or extra-intestinal symptoms in patients without coeliac disease. In this article, we discuss the latest scientific evidence and our current u...

Background: Nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), occurring in patients without celiac disease yet whose gastrointestinal symptoms improve on a gluten-free diet (GFD), is largely a self-reported diagnosis and would appear to be very common. The aims of this study were to characterize patients who believe they have NCGS. Materials and Methods: Advert...

Current evidence suggests that many patients with self-reported non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) retain gastrointestinal symptoms on a gluten-free diet (GFD) but continue to restrict gluten as they report 'feeling better'. To investigate the notion that a major effect of gluten in those with NCGS is on mental state and not necessarily on gastr...

The dietary carbohydrate fructose can be incompletely absorbed in the small intestine and is sometimes associated with gastrointestinal symptoms that include motility disturbances and abdominal pain. Fructose malabsorption has been well documented in variable but similar proportions of healthy and populations with functional gastrointestinal disord...

The avoidance of wheat- and gluten-containing products is a worldwide phenomenon. While celiac disease is a well-established entity, the evidence base for gluten as a trigger of symptoms in patients without celiac disease (so-called 'non-celiac gluten sensitivity' or NCGS) is limited. The problems lie in the complexity of wheat and the ability of i...

Background & aims: Patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) do not have celiac disease but their symptoms improve when they are placed on gluten-free diets. We investigated the specific effects of gluten after dietary reduction of fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates (fermentable, oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and poly...

The American Journal of Gastroenterology is published by Nature Publishing Group (NPG) on behalf of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). Ranked the #1 clinical journal covering gastroenterology and hepatology*, The American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG) provides practical and professional support for clinicians dealing with the gastr...