A large, long-term study of more than 96,000 adults reveals that the way we eat as we age can play a major role in whether we develop chronic constipation.
Researchers found that Mediterranean and plant-based diets were linked to a noticeably lower risk, even though the benefits were not tied to fiber as many people assume.
Chronic constipation becomes more common as people get older. Researchers at Mass General Brigham carried out a new investigation comparing five frequently followed diets to see how well they protect middle- and older-age adults from developing chronic constipation. Their work involved more than 96,000 adults who were monitored for several years to evaluate how long-term eating habits influence the likelihood of this persistent gastrointestinal condition.
The analysis showed that individuals who routinely ate a Mediterranean or plant-based diet had a lower risk of constipation. The findings were reported in Gastroenterology.
“Chronic constipation affects millions of people and can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life,” said senior author Kyle Staller, MD, MPH, of the Division of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “Our findings suggest that as we age, certain healthy diets may provide benefits to our gut beyond the known cardiovascular benefits.”
Healthy diets are known to ease constipation symptoms, but this study provides the first evidence that some eating patterns may help keep chronic constipation from starting in the first place. “We have always assumed that the benefits of eating a healthy diet would be driven by fiber, but our analyses showed the benefit of these healthy diets on constipation were independent of fiber intake,” said Staller.
