Medicine: Bran Booster

The Effect of Bran on Humans and the Effect of Humans on Bran is not yet a book, but it is the working title of a piece of research which early next year will be offered to the medical profession by one of its greatest bran enthusiasts. Its author is Dr. Bernard Fantus, professor of therapeutics of the University of Illinois’ medical school. Eighteen years ago, before the profession in general had really begun its modern investigation of cathartics, the American Medical Association published a handbook on the subject written by Dr. Fantus. One of its chapters was on bran, of which he was an early advocate.

Now after a year’s intensive research he is preparing to publish his latest findings on bran. Part of his project consists of new experiments to observe the effects of bran on human beings. Last week in his cluttered laboratories in Chicago, he and his assistants were busy feeding bran to 100 volunteers, students of the medical school.

Each student is observed for three weeks. X-rays of the abdomen are made every few hours to follow the progress of food through the intestines. During the first week the volunteers live on bran-free diets, during the second week eat bran, during the third week again return to bran-free food.

Dr. Fantus has found so far that about 50% of his subjects, all of whom are healthy, show no noticeable change in intestinal movements, that the other 50% show more rapid movement of feces through the intestinal tract. Said he last week:

“There are some individuals who may accommodate themselves to a roughage-free diet without ill effect. There are others who develop colon stasis in various portions of the large bowel. And while a certain degree of colon stasis may be tolerated without ill effect, such individuals are liable to disturbances arising from the abnormal retention of fecal material in these portions of the bowel. There is no doubt as evidenced from practical experience that many such individuals who find themselves to have irregular and inadequate bowel movements can secure more regular and more satisfactory evacuations by the use of bran in their diet. . . .”