One Cup of Coffee a Day Reduces Constipation Risk by 20% [Health Talk]

[Financial News]  A study found that consuming 100mg of caffeine, equivalent to one cup of coffee a day, reduces the risk of chronic constipation by about 20%.

On the 11th (local time), according to the UK Daily Mail, a research team from Xi'an Hospital in China announced that consuming 100mg of caffeine, equivalent to one cup of coffee, reduced the risk of constipation by about 20%.

The research team used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2010 to examine the relationship between caffeine intake and bowel symptoms (constipation, diarrhea, etc.) in 12,759 adults and evaluated how constipation risk changes according to intake levels.

As a result, it was found that consuming 100mg of caffeine, equivalent to one cup of coffee a day, reduced the risk of chronic constipation (defined as less than three bowel movements per week, excessive straining, or a feeling of incomplete evacuation lasting more than three months) by about 18-20%.

The research team explained, "Caffeine is effective in promoting bowel movements by stimulating intestinal peristalsis (the movement that pushes food along)," adding, "It can be particularly helpful in alleviating constipation when consumed appropriately by the elderly."

However, it was found that if daily caffeine intake exceeds 204mg, the risk of constipation increases. This is because the diuretic effect of caffeine increases urine output, leading to dehydration and worsening constipation.

Nevertheless, in the case of those aged 60 and over, it was found that even with high caffeine intake, the risk of constipation decreased. Also, people with high caffeine intake had about a 25% lower risk of constipation compared to those with lower intake.

The research team suggested, "This result is significant in that it quantitatively analyzed the dose-dependent effects of caffeine using large-scale population-based data," and emphasized the need for future long-term follow-up studies or clinical trials to verify causality.

Meanwhile, this research result was recently published in the international academic journal 'Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare'.

newssu@fnnews.com Kim Su-yeon Reporter