Dietary Vitamin B1 linked to lower chronic constipation rates

To address the role of vitamin B1 or thiamine (dietary micronutrient), this research by Wenyi Du et al. analyzed the data from adult participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2010. Researchers included elaborate 24-hour dietary records from participants. The study employed multiple logistic regression, subgroup analysis, and curve-fitting analysis to investigate the relationship between vitamin B1 in diet and chronic constipation.

The study analyzed data from 10,371 participants, 10.8% of whom were identified as having chronic constipation. As found, higher dietary intake of vitamin B1 was considerably linked with a lower risk of constipation. Specifically, an increase in vitamin B1 intake corresponded to a reduced likelihood of constipation (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.99). Further analysis showed that participants in the highest tertile of vitamin B1 intake had a notably lower risk (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65-0.99) compared to those in the lowest tertile.

Also, the inverse relationship between vitamin B1 intake and constipation was chiefly noteworthy among men, and individuals without hypertension or diabetes (p-values less than 0.05).

The findings suggest that higher consumption of vitamin B1 may lead to laxer stools and increased bowel movements, thereby relieving constipation. However, more extensive investigation is essential to fully comprehend the long-term effect of thiamine on digestive health.