Clinical studies in persistent diarrhea: Dietary management with green banana or pectin in Bangladeshi children

Background & aims Because of the beneficial intestinal effects of dietary fibers, we have evaluated the therapeutic effects of green banana or pectin in children with persistent diarrhea. Methods In a double-blind trial, 62 boys, age 5-12 months, were randomly given a rice-based diet containing either 250 g/L of cooked green banana (n = 22) or 4 g/kg pectin (n = 19) or the rice-diet alone (control, n = 21), providing 54 kcal/dL daily for 7 days. Stool weight and consistency, frequency of vomiting and purging, and duration of illness were measured. Results Most children (60%) had no pathogens isolated from stools, 17% had rotavirus, 5% Vibrio cholerae, 4% Salmonella group B, and 11% had enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections. By…