Association between Dietary Factors and Constipation in Adults Living in Luxembourg and Taking Part in the ORISCAV-LUX 2 Survey

Nutrition and Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction

BACKGROUND

Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) have a complex pathophysiology that is often characterized by a relationship between food ingestion and triggering of symptoms. Understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the role of nutrients as a therapeutic target are rapidly evolving.

AIMS AND METHODS

We performed a narrative review of the literature using the following keywords, their acronyms, and their associations: nutrients, disorders of gut-brain interaction; functional dyspepsia; malabsorption; irritable bowel syndrome; diarrhea; constipation.

RESULTS

Functional dyspepsia displayed a significant correlation between volume, fat and/or wheat abundance, chemical composition of ingested food and symptoms of early satiety, fullness and weight loss. Carbohydrate malabsorption is related to enzyme deficiency throughout the GI tract. Food composition and richness in soluble vs. non-soluble fibers is related to constipation and diarrhea. The elimination of fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) has a significant and non-unidirectional impact on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Food volume, nutritive and chemical composition, and its malabsorption are associated with symptom generation in DGBIs. Further multicenter, randomized-controlled clinical trials are needed to clarify the underlying pathophysiology.

Exploring the connection between caffeine intake and constipation: a cross-sectional study using national health and nutrition examination survey data

BACKGROUND

Caffeine has been reported to increase gastrointestinal motility and change intestinal microbiota. Constipation may be caused by colonic motor dysfunction and colonic microbiomeis disturbances. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between caffeine intake and constipation.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Caffeine intake was assessed using 24-h dietary recall method, and constipation was defined based on stool consistency or stool frequency. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between caffeine intake and constipation, and results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Subgroup analysis was performed based on age.

RESULTS

A total of 13,816 participants were finally included for analysis. After adjusting potential confounders, high intake of caffeine was found to be associated with the low odds of constipation (Q3: OR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.49-0.74; Q4: OR = 0.77, 95%CI: 0.59-0.99; Q5: OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.56-0.92). The similar association was found in young people and middle-age people (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

High caffeine intake was associated with the low odds of constipation. Our finding indicated that individuals should develop consciousness and habit of consuming caffeinated foods and drinks to prevent and relief the constipation.

Constipation: A Pristine Universal Pediatric Health Delinquent

Constipation suffered by children is a global public health problem. Functional constipation (FC) brings about deteriorating effects in the children's lives who suffer from it. The risk factors for the development of constipation include the consumption of a diet low in fiber and high in calories (such as the consumption of fast food), a sedentary lifestyle with a lack of exercise, a family history of constipation, and emotional and psychological stress endured by children in their families. It is one of the most common causes of stomachaches in children. FC may lead to fecal incontinence (FI), anal fissures, recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI), and enuresis in children. Severe constipation may result in stool becoming rock-hard and inflexible in the rectum, which is clinically identified as fecal impaction. It is imperative to perform clinical evaluation and treatment, including pharmacological (the use of stimulant and osmotic laxatives) and non-pharmacological (education, changes in diet, intervention to promote positive behavior and address any emotional issues, toilet training, and physiotherapy for the pelvic floor) interventions. In the case of refractory patients, neuromodulation, the irrigation of the anal canal, and surgical management may be needed. It is essential to lead a healthy, stress-free lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a balanced diet rich in fiber (such as fruits and vegetables) so children can have regular bowel habits and thrive.

Functional Food in Relation to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common esophageal disorder characterized by troublesome symptoms associated with increased esophageal acid exposure. The cornerstones of therapy in this regard include treatment with acid-suppressive agents, lifestyle modifications, and dietary therapy, although the latter has not been well defined. As concerns regarding long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use continue to be explored, patients and healthcare providers are becoming increasingly interested in the role of diet in disease management. However, dietary interventions lack evidence of the synthesis effect of functional foods. The following is a review of dietary therapy for GERD, emphasizing food components' impact on GERD pathophysiology and management. Although the sequential dietary elimination of food groups is a common practice, the literature supports broader intervention, including reduced overall sugar intake, increased dietary fiber, and changes in overall eating practices. While the primary concern of food companies is to provide safe products, the caloric, nutritional, and functional composition of foods is also generating interest in the food industry due to consumers' concerns.

New Perspectives on Lactose Malabsorption, Celiac Disease and Related Disorders

Lactose malabsorption (LM) is caused by the incomplete hydrolysis of lactose due to lactase deficiency [...].

Association of diet quality indices with serum and metabolic biomarkers in participants of the ORISCAV-LUX-2 study

PURPOSE

Diet quality is a critical modifiable factor related to health, including the risk of cardiometabolic complications. Rather than assessing the intake of individual food items, it is more meaningful to examine overall dietary patterns. This study investigated the adherence to common dietary indices and their association with serum/metabolic parameters of disease risk.

METHODS

Dietary intakes of the general adult population (n = 1404, 25-79 years) were assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire (174 items). The French ANSES-Ciqual food composition database was used to compute nutrient intakes. Seven indicators were calculated to investigate participants' diet quality: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Score (DASH-S), Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I), Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), Dietary Antioxidant Index (DAI), and Naturally Nutrient-Rich Score (NNRS). Various serum/metabolic parameters were used in the validity and association analyses, including markers of inflammation, blood glucose, and blood lipid status.

RESULTS

Following linear regression models adjusted for confounders, the DASH-S was significantly associated with most metabolic parameters (14, e.g., inversely with blood pressure, triglycerides, urinary sodium, uric acid, and positively with serum vitamin D), followed by the DQI-I (13, e.g., total cholesterol, apo-A/B, uric acid, and blood pressure) and the AHEI (11, e.g., apo-A, uric acid, serum vitamin D, diastolic blood pressure and vascular age).

CONCLUSION

Food-group-based indices, including DASH-S, DQI-I, and AHEI, were good predictors for serum/metabolic parameters, while nutrient-based indices, such as the DAI or NNRS, were less related to biological markers and, thus, less suitable to reflect diet quality in a general population.

Galactooligosaccharides ameliorate dietary advanced glycation end product-induced intestinal barrier damage in C57BL/6 mice by modulation of the intestinal microbiome

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are increasingly recognized as potentially pathogenic components of processed foods, and long-term consumption of dietary AGEs triggers disruption of the intestinal barrier integrity and increases the risk of chronic diseases. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) as prebiotics can modulate the intestinal microbiota and improve the intestinal barrier integrity. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether GOS could ameliorate the intestinal barrier damage induced by AGEs. The results showed an increased number of goblet cells (AGEs vs. H-GOS, 133.4 vs. 174.7, p < 0.05) and neutral mucin area (PAS positive area, 7.29% vs. 10.05%, p < 0.05). Upregulated expressions of occludin and claudin-1 and improved intestinal barrier integrity were observed in the H-GOS group. Using 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, we found that GOS significantly reduced the high enrichment of Akkermansia (16.95% vs. 1.29%, p < 0.05) induced by dietary AGEs while increasing the content of short-chain fatty acids. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) showed that AGE-induced damage to the intestinal mucus barrier was reversed in the H-GOS transplanted group. Collectively, GOS ameliorated dietary AGE-induced intestinal barrier damage by reversing the dysregulated state of the intestinal microbiota. Our study lays the foundation for further research on dietary guidelines for populations with high AGE diets.

Factors Associated with Functional Constipation among Students of a Chinese University: A Cross-Sectional Study

Functional constipation (FC) is prevalent worldwide and is an increasingly prominent problem among university students. However, there is a paucity of research on FC in university students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of FC among Chinese university students by the Rome III criteria and investigate its associated factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted by online questionnaires among 929 university students at a Chinese university. Food consumption was assessed with the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQFFQ) and dietary patterns were analyzed using factor analysis. A binary logistic regression model was applied to clarify FC-associated factors. The prevalence of FC among university students was 5.1%. Interestingly, among university students, the prevalence of FC with “complex” dietary pattern was significantly higher than those with “vegetable, fruit, egg and milk-based” and “livestock and aquatic product-based” dietary pattern (9.9% vs. 3.1% vs. 2.8%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of FC was significantly higher among university students with moderate to severe sleep disorders than those with the other sleep status (χ2 = 18.100, p < 0.001). Furthermore, after adjusting the covariates, “complex” dietary pattern (OR = 4.023, p < 0.001), moderate to severe sleep disorders (OR = 3.003, p = 0.006), overeating (OR = 2.502, p = 0.032), long mealtime (>30 min) (OR = 6.001, p = 0.007), and poor defecation habits (OR = 3.069, p = 0.042) were positively associated with FC among university students. Based on the above-associated factors for FC, improving dietary patterns and sleep status and developing good bowel and dietary habits are essential to prevent and alleviate university students’ FC.

Association between overall dietary quality and constipation in American adults: a cross-sectional study

Background

Constipation seriously affects people’s life quality, and dietary adjustment has been one of the effective methods. Overall dietary quality has been reported to be associated with some diseases, while its association with constipation has not been reported. This study aims to explore the association between overall dietary quality and constipation.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was designed and data were extracted from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Overall dietary quality was assessed by healthy eating index-2015 (HEI-2015), and constipation was defined by either stool consistency or stool frequency. The association between overall dietary quality or components of HEI-2015 and constipation was assessed using logistic regression, with results expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Subgroup analysis was conducted according to age and gender.

Results

A total of 13,945 participants were eligible, with 1,407 in constipation group and 12,538 in non-constipation group. Results showed that higher adherence to HEI-2015 was associated with reduced odds of constipation (OR: 0.98, 95%CI: 0.98–0.99) after adjusting potential confounders. Further, we found higher intake of total fruits, whole fruits, total vegetables, greens and beans, whole grains, total protein foods, seafood and plant proteins, and higher fatty acids ratio decreased the odds of constipation, while higher intake of sodium increased the odds (all P < 0.05). We also found negative association between HEI-2015 and constipation in participants with male sex, female sex, age ≥ 65 years, and age < 65 years (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

We found higher adherence to HEI-2015 decreased the odds of constipation, suggesting that increasing HEI-2015 adherence may be one of effective methods to alleviate constipation.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14360-w.