New evidence-based dietary guidelines may help relieve chronic constipation and improve patients’ quality of life, according to researchers from King’s College London.
اضافة اعلان
Chronic constipation significantly affects daily life and imposes a financial burden on both patients and healthcare systems. Until now, clinical guidelines mainly focused on increasing fiber and fluid intake and were often outdated.
The new guidelines are based on over 75 clinical trials and were developed by a multidisciplinary committee including dietitians, gastroenterologists, and general practitioners. They include 59 clear recommendations and 12 research priorities, evaluated using the GRADE framework for evidence quality.
Key dietary strategies include:
Kiwi fruit, rye bread, and mineral-rich water to alleviate chronic constipation.
Psyllium fiber supplements, specific probiotic strains, and magnesium oxide supplements showed particular effectiveness.
Common approaches like general high-fiber diets alone were not strongly proven effective.
The guidelines aim to help healthcare professionals provide practical advice and enable patients to manage symptoms through specific dietary choices.
Dr. Irene Demedi, lead author, said:
“Chronic constipation heavily impacts daily life. For the first time, we provide scientifically backed dietary guidance to help patients manage their symptoms and improve quality of life.”
Recommendations focus on measurable outcomes such as bowel movement frequency, stool consistency, straining, and overall quality of life, making them applicable to individual patients. An easy-to-use tool was developed to support global implementation by clinicians.
Despite some effective foods and supplements, researchers noted the overall quality of existing studies is low, highlighting the need for further high-quality research.
Professor Kevin Whelan, senior author, added:
“These guidelines empower patients and healthcare professionals to manage constipation through nutrition, offering modern, practical advice to improve symptoms and long-term quality of life.”
The guidelines were published in Human Nutrition & Dietetics and Neurogastroenterology & Motility, and endorsed by the British Dietetic Association (BDA).
