When it comes to the best foods for easing chronic constipation, are kiwis on your grocery list?
New dietary guidelines from the British Dietetic Association, published Monday, say that kiwis — along with rye bread and certain supplements — can help improve constipation symptoms.
The guidelines, the authors say, are the first evidence-based recommendations for treating constipation with diet, not medications.
Chronic constipation affects around 16% of adults worldwide, and constipation is the reason for almost 2.5 million doctors visits in the U.S. per year, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.
Eirini Dimidi, a lead author of the guidelines, said the existing guidance for managing chronic constipation is largely focused on pharmaceuticals.
The few dietary recommendations out there — eat more fiber, drink more water — are ambiguous and often lack research to back them up.
“I remember looking at the guidelines and realizing that they are just really limited in the number of dietary recommendations they make,” said Dimidi, a registered dietician and associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at King’s College in London.
To come up with the new guidelines, the authors analyzed clinical trials and evaluated each method’s effectiveness for managing constipation. The recommendations were jointly published in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics and Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
What is chronic constipation?
Constipation — defined by fewer than three bowel movements a week — is considered chronic if it lasts for more than three months.
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but common ones are hard or lumpy stool, stomachache and nausea. More serious symptoms of constipation include blood in stool, fever and vomiting.
Constipation can be caused by diet, lifestyle, certain illnesses and injuries, and some medications. It’s extremely common, affecting people of all ages, gender and race.
“I see chronic constipation across the spectrum,” said Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “I see it in toddlers, I see it in school-age children, I see it in adults. So it’s a common thing,” she said.
Chronic constipation can severely impact people’s lives and limit their physical abilities, worsening their quality of life and work productivity.
“If you’re chronically constipated, you may not be able to even participate in physical activity, because you feel bloated, you’re in pain, you’re achy, it may affect your mood,” said Anderson-Haynes, who also owns 360 Girls and Women, a nutrition and health practice based in Boston.
How is chronic constipation treated?
Dr. William Chey, professor of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan and incoming president of the American College of Gastroenterology, said most studies on treating chronic constipation have focused on fiber supplements, like psyllium, and medications, like bisacodyl, senna and amitiza.
He added American guidelines “focus pretty heavily on medical therapies for chronic constipation.”
Traditional constipation treatments include increasing fiber intake through foods like prunes and other fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, and using different kinds of laxatives.
While the new guidelines include certain fiber-rich foods and fiber supplements, there’s no guidance on a “high-fiber diet” overall.
