Lower Dietary Vitamin E Intake may Increase Constipation Risk, finds research

A recent study examined the relationship between dietary vitamin E intake and constipation prevalence in adults in the United States and found a potential link between insufficient vitamin E and higher constipation risk. This study was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the findings were published in the recent edition of Frontiers in Nutrition journal.

This cross-sectional analysis investigated the dietary habits and their health outcomes. The vitamin E intake was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall system to capture detailed information about their food consumption. Constipation was defined using the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) that classifies stool types into categories ranging from hard and lumpy (indicative of constipation) to soft and smooth (a sign of healthy bowel movements).

The outcomes of this study observed that individuals with constipation tended to have significantly lower vitamin E intake than the individuals without bowel irregularities. The analysis revealed a clear inverse relationship between vitamin E consumption and the risk of constipation which meant that as vitamin E intake increased, the odds of experiencing constipation decreased.

Even after controlling for potential confounders such as diet, physical activity, and age, this association remained strong. The individuals with the lowest levels of vitamin E were more likely to report constipation symptoms. The odds ratio (OR) showed that a higher intake of vitamin E could reduce the risk of constipation by a marked margin. Also, this relationship was not simply linear, as the further analysis with restricted cubic spline (RCS) models revealed a non-linear inverse trend which highlights the complexity of this association. The non-linear aspect suggests that the benefit of vitamin E in preventing constipation might plateau at higher intake levels.

This study provides noteworthy insights into the potential protective role of vitamin E in digestive health. The findings suggest that increasing vitamin E intake could help lower the risk of constipation, although the exact threshold for optimal benefits might vary. This cross-sectional research highlights the need for further prospective studies to validate these results and determine whether dietary modifications could serve as a practical approach to managing constipation in the general population.

Source:

Cai, J., Li, D., Xie, R., Yu, X., Wu, Y., Sun, F., & Zhang, C. (2024). Association between dietary vitamin E intake and constipation: NHANES 2005–2010. In Frontiers in Nutrition (Vol. 11). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1426280