A study examining the relationship between bowel movements and cognitive function found that constipation for 3 days or more ``ages the brain by 3 years.''
It is known that the intestine has such a close relationship with the brain that it is referred to as the 'second brain,' and previous research has shown that
Constipation Associated with Cognitive Aging & Decline | alz.org
https://aaic.alz.org/releases_2023/constipation-gut-health-alzheimers-dementia-risk.asp
Constipation linked with cognitive decline, research finds | CNN
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/19/health/constipation-cognitive-decline-gut-health-wellness/index.html
Approximately 16% of the world's population is said to suffer from constipation, and the elderly are particularly at risk of constipation due to lack of dietary fiber, lack of exercise, and side effects of medications taken for other illnesses. There is a tendency to Chronic constipation, defined as symptoms that last for three days or more, is also known to be associated with anxiety and depression.
This time, Chaolan Ma, a nutritionist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who has researched the problem of constipation and cognitive function, spoke at the Alzheimer's Disease Association's international conference held online in Amsterdam, Netherlands in July 2023. 'We found that people who suffer from severe constipation had a 73% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline.'
This study examines two large-scale studies targeting female healthcare workers, the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II, and the Nurses' Health Study II. Data on defecation frequency from 2012 to 2013 and self-assessment data on cognitive function from 2014 to 2017 from 112,000 people who participated in the 'Health Professionals Follow-up Study'. We collected objective cognitive function measurement data from 2014 to 2018 and analyzed the relationships between them.
As a result, people with constipation have significantly lower cognitive abilities than those who have one bowel movement a day, and in particular, those who have a bowel movement every three days or more are equivalent to being three years older. It turns out that my cognitive abilities are declining. In addition, constipation does not necessarily have to be a problem; those who had two or more bowel movements a day were also 37% more likely to have poor cognitive function.
'Our study provides the world's first evidence from a broad investigation of defecation frequency,' said Ma. 'In particular, people who defecate less frequently are significantly associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline. I was surprised,' he said.
Heather Snyder, vice president of medical and scientific affairs at the Alzheimer's Association, said: ``All of our body's systems are interconnected, so a failure in one system can affect others.'' I'm sure it will be extended,' he commented.
At this year's Alzheimer's Association meeting, research results were also presented that delved into the mechanisms by which intestinal disorders affect the brain. Yannick Wadop and his colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio collected fecal samples and brain scan data from 140 middle-aged hospital patients to determine the buildup of gut bacteria and markers of Alzheimer's disease. We compared the situations.
The researchers found that high levels of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers were associated with low levels of Butyricoccus and Ruminococcus, two types of butyric acid bacteria found in the intestines. Butyric acid bacteria, along with lactic acid bacteria, are attracting attention as beneficial bacteria because they produce butyric acid from dietary fiber in the intestines and have the ability to suppress the growth of harmful bacteria.
'The specific relationship between our gut and our brain is gradually becoming clearer,' Wadup said. 'For example, a reduction in certain gut bacteria increases intestinal permeability, which reduces harmful metabolites that reach the brain. As a result, amyloid beta and tau proteins, which are associated with Alzheimer's disease, may accumulate in the brain.'
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in Science, Posted by log1l_ks