- In a series of new studies, researchers investigated the link between constipation and cognitive decline.
- They found that one bowel movement every 3 days or less frequently is linked to higher levels of cognitive decline alongside certain changes in the gut microbiome.
- Further studies are needed to see how these findings could inform treatments and prevention strategies for cognitive decline.
Around
Chronic constipation occurs when a person has fewer than one bowel movement every 3 or more days. It has been linked to various health conditions, including
Studies
Understanding more about how constipation affects the neurological system — and the brain and cognition by extension — could aid the development of treatments and prevention strategies for cognitive decline and related conditions.
Recently, researchers investigated the link between constipation and cognitive decline. They found that having a bowel movement every 3 days or less frequently was linked to a 73% higher chance of subjective cognitive decline.
The studies were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and online.
Other related studies also found that increases and decreases in certain gut bacteria are linked to dementia and cognitive decline.
“This research is a first step to investigating whether certain types of bacterial presence within our intestines protects our brains from certain types of cognitive diseases,” Dr. Thomas Gut, assistant professor…
Read the full article here