Engineering Digestion: Effect of Viscosity & Gastric Secretions on the Absorption of Nutrients

A mathematical model has been developed to investigate the processes involved in the stomach and small intestine after the ingestion of a glucose solution. The gastric emptying rate and effect of viscosity on the mass transfer in the intestinal lumen was investigated as well as the secretion rate of gastric juices and there effect on the viscosity of the digesta. The results show that increases in viscosity and will reduce the amount of glucose absorbed after 90 minutes, and may lead to a reduction in the glycaemic index of a food. The model also showed how the effect of gastric secretions will reduce the viscosity of the digesta in the stomach which will have the effect of increasing the mass transfer rate within the small intestine, and will likely increase the rate of absorption.