Why Regular Toilet Visits Are Key to Health, According to Research

(Dennis Thompson – HealthDay News) – Regularity is good for your health, a recent study shows.

predictable bowel movements may be linked to your long-term health by allowing your body to absorb essential nutrients Researchers have found that this does not produce harmful toxins that damage organs.

“Goldilocks Zone” belonging frequency testimony, once or twice a day, linked to improved health, the results show.

This gives intestinal microbes enough time to digest dietary fiber, which is fermented into beneficial short-chain fatty acids, explained lead researcher Johannes Johnson-Martinez, a graduate student at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.

“The ecosystem then switches to protein fermentation, which produces various toxins that can enter the bloodstream,” Johnson-Martinez explained in an institute press release.

For the study, researchers analyzed health and lifestyle data from more than 1,400 healthy adults, according to the research, which was published in the July 16 issue of the journal Health. Cellular Reports Medicine.

These people were divided into four groups based on bowel movement frequency: constipation, normal-low, normal-high, and diarrhea. Those with constipation had bowel movements once or twice a week, three to six times a week, and one to three times a day.

People who suffer from constipation and diarrhea tend to have higher levels of bacteria associated with the fermentation of toxic proteins. showed results. Toxins formed during protein fermentation may cause organ damagethe researchers added.

For example, the results show that a protein fermentation byproduct called indoxyl sulfate is significantly associated with decreased kidney function. Levels of this byproduct and another toxin called p-cresol sulfate were elevated in the blood of people with constipation.

Meanwhile, others Toxins associated with liver damage were higher in people with diarrhea.

«Chronic constipation is associated with neurodegenerative disorders and progression of chronic kidney disease. in patients with active disease,” said study researcher Sean Gibbons, an associate professor at the Institute for Systems Biology.

“However, it is unclear whether Defecation disorders are early causes of chronic diseases and organ damage.“or are these retrospective associations in sick patients just coincidental,” Gibbons added. “Here, in a generally healthy population, we show that constipation, in particular, is associated with blood levels of toxins derived from microbes known to cause organ damage, even before any disease is diagnosed.”

Not surprisingly, people tend to fall into the Goldilocks zone if they eat a high-fiber diet, drink plenty of water and exercise regularly, the researchers say.

The results show that younger people, women and people with lower BMI tend to have less frequent bowel movements.

The findings suggest that mental health may also influence a person’s bowel movements.

“Overall, this study shows how stool frequency can affect all body systems and how abnormal stool frequency may be an important risk factor for chronic disease,” Gibbons said. “These findings may help develop strategies to control stool frequency, even in healthy populations, to optimize health and well-being.”

More information: Johns Hopkins Medicine offers additional information about stool and health.

SOURCE: Institute for Systems Biology, press release, July 16, 2024

*Dennis Thompson, HealthDay reporters © The New York Times, 2024