July 27, 2024

Study: Regular Bowel Movements Linked to Better Health

Maintaining regular bowel movements is beneficial for long-term health, a new study reveals.

Predictable bowel movements enable the body to absorb essential nutrients and prevent the production of harmful, organ-damaging toxins, researchers discovered.

The "Goldilocks zone" for bowel movement frequency-once or twice a day-is associated with better overall health, according to the study's findings.

This frequency allows gut microbes enough time to digest dietary fiber, which they ferment into beneficial short-chain fatty acids, explained lead researcher Johannes Johnson-Martinez, a doctoral student at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.

"After this optimal period, the ecosystem shifts to fermenting proteins, producing several toxins that can enter the bloodstream," Johnson-Martinez stated in an institute news release.

For the study, researchers analyzed medical and lifestyle data from over 1,400 healthy adults. The results were published Tuesday in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

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

People with constipation and diarrhea had higher levels of bacteria associated with toxic protein fermentation, the study found.

The toxins produced by protein fermentation can cause organ damage, the researchers noted.

For instance, a protein fermentation byproduct called indoxyl-sulfate is significantly associated with reduced kidney function. Blood levels of indoxyl-sulfate and another toxin, p-cresol-sulfate, were elevated in people with constipation.

Additionally, other toxins linked to liver damage were found in higher levels in people with diarrhea.

"Chronic constipation has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders and the progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with active disease," said researcher Sean Gibbons, an associate professor at the Institute for Systems Biology.

"However, it has been unclear whether bowel movement abnormalities are early drivers of chronic disease and organ damage, or whether these retrospective associations in sick patients are merely coincidental," Gibbons added. "Here, in a generally healthy population, we show that constipation, in particular, is associated with blood levels of microbially derived toxins known to cause organ damage, prior to any disease diagnosis."

Not surprisingly, people tend to fall within the Goldilocks zone if they consume a fiber-rich diet, drink plenty of water, and engage in regular exercise, the researchers noted.

Younger individuals, women, and those with a lower BMI tend to have less frequent bowel movements, the study found.

Mental health also impacts bowel movements, the results showed.

"Overall, this study demonstrates how bowel movement frequency can influence all body systems and how abnormal bowel movement frequency may be an important risk factor in the development of chronic diseases," Gibbons said. "These insights could inform strategies for managing bowel movement frequency, even in healthy populations, to optimize health and wellness."