Any particular reason you've chosen oat fiber over other high-surface area materials e.g. activated charcoal? Assuming you're going for some kind of functionalisation that broadly targets aromatic or non-polar small molecules to catch as many kinds of plasticisers as possible, you'll probably be mopping up some vitamins too, which is fine but you'll have to warn users to supplement to avoid deficiency if taken continuously.
I've chosen oat fiber over activated charcoal to capture plasticizers for exactly the reason you outline. I'm prioritizing safety above all. Continuously taking activated charcoal can result in vitamin deficiencies, and I'll be designing NeutraOat to make sure that it does not trap vitamins or other nutrients.
You mention that this technique would only affect substances currently in the digestive tract because of a recent meal, but plenty of things (including toxins) undergo enterohepatic circulation, extending their half-life in the body. A perfect example would be cholesterol. Dietary fiber doesn’t merely prevent primary absorption of cholesterol from meals, it also prevents reabsorption from bile.
It seems like NeutraOat (or future versions) could equally well target those substances regardless of when it is taken relative to a meal containing them, as long as one is consistent about it.
That's an excellent point that I hadn't considered. NeutraOat will likely help sequester toxins from being reabsorbed into enterohepatic circulation. This means that it will be at least somewhat effective for preventing toxins, including plasticizers, from entering the bloodstream even if taken separately from a meal.
I guess “gut condom” doesn’t really roll off the tongue ;)
But en serio, I love the principles behind NeutraOat and stoked to see it come together
Any particular reason you've chosen oat fiber over other high-surface area materials e.g. activated charcoal? Assuming you're going for some kind of functionalisation that broadly targets aromatic or non-polar small molecules to catch as many kinds of plasticisers as possible, you'll probably be mopping up some vitamins too, which is fine but you'll have to warn users to supplement to avoid deficiency if taken continuously.
I've chosen oat fiber over activated charcoal to capture plasticizers for exactly the reason you outline. I'm prioritizing safety above all. Continuously taking activated charcoal can result in vitamin deficiencies, and I'll be designing NeutraOat to make sure that it does not trap vitamins or other nutrients.
You mention that this technique would only affect substances currently in the digestive tract because of a recent meal, but plenty of things (including toxins) undergo enterohepatic circulation, extending their half-life in the body. A perfect example would be cholesterol. Dietary fiber doesn’t merely prevent primary absorption of cholesterol from meals, it also prevents reabsorption from bile.
It seems like NeutraOat (or future versions) could equally well target those substances regardless of when it is taken relative to a meal containing them, as long as one is consistent about it.
That's an excellent point that I hadn't considered. NeutraOat will likely help sequester toxins from being reabsorbed into enterohepatic circulation. This means that it will be at least somewhat effective for preventing toxins, including plasticizers, from entering the bloodstream even if taken separately from a meal.