Functional constipation (FC)

The Rome foundation, an organization supporting the management and treatment of functional gut disorders, has established diagnostic criteria for FC. Some of these include the following.

Straining during more than 25% of defecations; lumpy or hard stool; sensation of incomplete evacuation; fewer than three bowel movements a week; loose stools are rarely present without laxatives. Contributing causes for FC are primarily a low-fibre diet, sedentary lifestyle, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), psychological stress and gastrointestinal dysbiosis (Inappropriate levels of beneficial bacteria).

Propelling probiotics!

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomised controlled trials found that the administration of probiotic strains at varying doses, improved gut transit time by more than 12 hours, and increased stool frequency by 1.3 bowel movements per week in patients with FC.

One of the strains examinedin the above review is Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938. This species helps to alleviate FC by reducing methane production which inhibits the enteric nervous system function, and produces the anti-microbial molecules reuterin. And lactic acid and acetic acids, which inhibit the growth of dysbiotic organisms that otherwise disrupt colonic motility.

Research confirms these actions with the administration of L. reuteri DSM 17938 across a variety of doses demonstrating improvements in participants with FC. For example, 100 million CFU/day for four weeks increased the mean weekly bowel movement frequency from 4.1 to 6.4. And 200–400 million CFU/day for 90 days reduced reliance on laxatives, improved patient quality of life and reduced symptoms of FC such as gas, bloating, pain and abdominal discomfort.