bloating and constipation | Experts discover new health problem linked to constipation

A study published this week in the journal Cell Reports Medicine suggests that the frequency with which you should poop is once or twice a day to improve your long-term health. While previous studies have linked constipation and diarrhea to an increased risk of infections and neurodegenerative conditions, respectively, these findings were observed in sick patients.

“I hope this work will open doctors’ minds a little bit to the potential risks of not monitoring bowel frequency,” Sean Gibbons, lead author of the study, told AFP, adding that doctors often view irregular bowel movements as simply an “annoyance”.

Gibbons and his team collected clinical, lifestyle, and biological data, including blood chemistry, gut microbiome, and genetics, among other things, from more than 1,400 healthy adults with no evidence of active disease.

Self-reported bowel movement frequency was divided into four groups: constipation (one or two bowel movements per week), low normal (three to six per week), high normal (one to three per day), and diarrhea.

New discovery about the consequences of constipation

When feces sit in the intestines too long, bacteria ferment proteins instead of eating the fiber, producing toxins. “We found that even in healthy people who are constipated, there are increased amounts of toxins in the bloodstream,” which are especially harmful to the kidneys, Gibbons explains.

In cases of diarrhea, the team found clinical chemistry patterns that indicated liver inflammation and damage. Gibbons explained that during diarrhea, the body releases excess bile acid, which the liver processes to dissolve and absorb dietary fat.

Gut bacteria known as “strict anaerobes” associated with good health thrive in one or two bowel movements a day, although more research is needed to confirm this. To achieve this frequency, Gibbons says, you need to eat fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, and eat a diet that’s mostly vegetables.