A recent study from the Systems Biology Institute found that bowel movement frequency can significantly impact long-term health, influencing a variety of physiological processes and potentially influencing chronic disease risk. Analyzing data from over 1,400 individuals, the study linked bowel movement patterns to health indicators such as gut microbiome composition and blood metabolites, suggesting that maintaining the “Goldilocks Zone” of daily bowel movements may be important for optimal health.
Researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) found a significant correlation between age, sex, BMI and bowel movement frequency.
We all poop, but not every day. And according to new research from the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), how often you poop may be linked to your long-term health.
The ISB-led research team looked at clinical, lifestyle and multi-omics data from more than 1,400 healthy adults and found that bowel movement frequency can have a significant impact on a person’s physiology and health. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature. Cell Report medicine.
The researchers looked at data from consenting participants at the consumer health products company Arrivail. The team focused on generally healthy adults and excluded people with certain health conditions or taking medications.
The research team categorized self-reported bowel movement frequency into four groups: constipation (one to two bowel movements per week), low-normal (three to six bowel movements per week), high-normal (one to three bowel movements per day), and diarrhea.
After classification, the team explored associations between stool frequency and factors such as demographics, genetics, gut microbiota, and blood metabolites. plasma Chemistry.
Demographic and gut microbiome findings
The study showed that age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with bowel movement frequency. Specifically, younger people, women, and those with a lower BMI were more likely to have lower bowel movement frequency.
“Previous research has shown that bowel movement frequency can have a profound effect on the functioning of the gut ecosystem,” says Johannes Johnsson-Martinez, lead author of the study. “Specifically, if stool remains in the intestine for too long, microbes use up all the available dietary fiber and ferment it into beneficial short-chain fatty acids. The ecosystem then switches to fermenting proteins, which produces several toxins that can enter the bloodstream.”
Indeed, the researchers also showed that the microbial composition of study participants’ gut microbiome was a clear indication of bowel movement frequency. Fiber-fermenting gut bacteria, which are often associated with health, appeared to thrive in the “Goldilocks zone” of bowel movement frequency, i.e., one to two bowel movements per day. However, protein-fermenting and upper gastrointestinal tract-associated bacteria tended to be more prevalent in patients with constipation and diarrhea, respectively.
Impact on health and disease risk
Similarly, several blood metabolites and plasma chemistries showed significant associations with bowel movement frequency, suggesting a potential link between gut health and chronic disease risk. Specifically, microbial protein fermentation by-products known to damage the kidney, such as p-cresol sulfate and indoxyl sulfate, were more abundant in the blood of individuals with constipation, whereas clinical chemistries associated with liver damage were more abundant in the blood of individuals with diarrhea.
Notably, blood indoxyl sulfate concentrations were significantly associated with decreased renal function, providing preliminary support for a causal relationship between stool frequency, gut microbial metabolism, and organ damage in this healthy cohort.
Not surprisingly, those who reported eating a diet high in fiber, improving hydration, and exercising regularly were more likely to have good bowel movements.
“Chronic constipation has been associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with neurodegenerative and active disease,” said Dr. Sean Gibbons, Associate Professor at ISB and corresponding author of the paper. “However, it has been unclear whether bowel abnormalities are an early contributing factor to chronic disease and organ damage, or whether these retrospective associations in sick patients are simply coincidences.”
“Here we show that in a generally healthy population, constipation in particular is associated with higher blood levels of microbial-derived toxins known to cause organ damage before disease is diagnosed,” Gibbons said.
The study also investigated the association between bowel frequency and anxiety and depression, showing that mental health history was associated with bowel frequency.
“Overall, this study shows how bowel frequency affects every organ in the body and that abnormal bowel frequency may be an important risk factor in the development of chronic disease,” Gibbons said. “These findings may inform strategies for managing bowel frequency to optimize health and wellness, even in healthy populations.”
Reference: “Abnormal Defecation Frequency Consists of Increased Microbial-Derived Blood Metabolites Associated with Decreased Organ Function” Johannes P. Johnson-Martinez, Christian Diener, Anne E. Levine, Tomasz Wilmanski, David L. Suskind, Aleksandra Ralevski, Jennifer Hadlock, Andrew T. Magis, Leroy Hood, Noah Rapaport, Sean M. Gibbons, July 16, 2024, Cell Report Medicine.
DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101646
