Sun, J., Wang, H., & Hu, H. (2012). Glutamine for chemotherapy induced diarrhea: a meta-analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 21(3), 380–385.
To investigate if prophylactic glutamine administration in patients receiving chemotherapy is effective for diarrhea prevention and control with the two major outcomes of duration and severity of diarrhea
Patients were undergoing the active treatment phase of care.
According to the results of this meta-analysis, prophylactic administration of glutamine (ranging from 16–30 g oral form daily for periods of up to 20 days and 20-40 g IV administration daily for periods of up to 21 days) reduced the length of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID). However, results did not show reduction in the severity of the diarrhea. Oral glutamine was found to be more effective than IV glutamine.
This meta-analysis provided evidence that glutamine, as the most abundant amino acid in humans, could reduce the duration of CID and intestinal permeability and may stimulate mucosal recovery. However, glutamine has not been shown to be beneficial in reducing or limiting the severity of CID. Larger trials are needed.
Prophylactic oral glutamine in patients receiving chemotherapy may be useful in lessening the duration of chemotherapy-related diarrhea. However, without further large trials with standardized doses, routes, and length of administration, glutamine should not be recommended for practice.