The new study published Tuesday Cell Report Medicine Bowel movement frequency has a significant impact on physiology and long-term health, with evidence showing that one or two bowel movements per day leads to optimal outcomes.
Previous studies have suggested that constipation and diarrhea are associated with an increased risk of infection and neurodegenerative diseases, respectively.
However, because these findings were observed in sick patients, it remained unclear whether irregular bathroom visits were a cause or consequence of their medical condition.
“We hope this study will raise some awareness among clinicians about the potential risks of not managing bowel frequency,” lead author Sean Gibbons from the Institute for Systems Biology told AFP, explaining that doctors often view irregular bowel movements as just a “nuisance”.
Gibbons and his team collected clinical, lifestyle and biological data, including blood chemistry, gut microbiota and genetics, from more than 1,400 healthy adult volunteers with no signs of active disease.
Participants’ self-reported bowel frequency was categorized into four groups: constipation (1-2 bowel movements per week), low-normal (3-6 bowel movements per week), high-normal (1-3 bowel movements per day), and diarrhea.
If stool remains in the intestines for too long, microbes will use up available fiber (which they ferment into beneficial short-chain fatty acids) and instead ferment protein, producing toxins such as p-cresol sulfate and indoxyl sulfate.
“What we found is that even healthy people who are constipated have elevated levels of these toxins in their bloodstream,” Gibbons said, noting that these toxins are particularly hard on the kidneys.
Fruit and vegetable key
In the case of diarrhea, the team found clinical chemistry indicative of inflammation and liver damage. Gibbons explained that during diarrhea, the body excretes excess bile acids, which the liver recycles to dissolve and absorb dietary fats.
Healthy, fibre-fermenting gut bacteria known as strict anaerobes thrive in the “Goldilocks zone” of one or two bowel movements per day, but Gibbons stressed that more research is needed to more precisely define this optimal range.
In terms of demographics, younger people, women, and those with lower BMI were more likely to have lower bowel movement frequency.
Gibbons said differences in men’s and women’s hormonal and nervous systems, as well as the fact that men generally consume more food, may explain the difference.
Finally, by combining biological data with lifestyle questionnaires, the research team was able to clearly delineate people who typically fall into the Goldilocks zone.
“Eating more fruits and vegetables was the biggest indication we saw,” Gibbons said, adding that drinking enough water, exercising regularly and eating a plant-based diet were also important.
The next step in the research is to Clinical Trials Large populations will be managed for defecation and followed over time to assess their potential in disease prevention.
