The study suggests that a personalized approach could address the root causes of digestive problems.
Constipation is more common in people whose intestines contain higher concentrations of archaea, a type of methane-producing microbe, according to a study published in the journal Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology. This finding may result in more targeted therapies for this common gastrointestinal problem. After analyzing data from more than 1,500 people, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that people with excessive methanogen overgrowth (IMO) were more likely to experience symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain, and problems passing gas.
“Our study found that patients with IMO are more likely to have constipation, especially severe constipation, and less likely to have intractable diarrhea.” said the corresponding author of the study, Ali Rezaie, MD, medical director of the Cedars-Sinai GI Motility Program and director of Bioinformatics at the Medical Associated Science and Technology (MAST) program at Cedars-Sinai. “However, patients also reported several other gut-related symptoms, including bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain and flatulence.”
According to a release from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Constipation is one of the most common bowel-related problems in the United States. About 16% of adults experience bloating, abdominal pain and difficulty with bowel movements; in people over 60 years of age the numbers have almost doubled. While many things, such as side effects of medications or a lack of dietary fiber, can cause constipation, there has historically been a lack of research on the role of the gut microbiome in constipation and other digestive issues.
A simple breath test can be used to diagnose IMO. Patients with high levels of methane in their breath may benefit from a combination of antibiotics and a specialized diet to suppress the growth of archaea in the intestines.
“If there are an excessive amount of archaea in your intestines, they produce more methane, and some of that methane passes into your bloodstream, then to your lungs, and you breathe it out, where it can be measured as a diagnostic test” , Rezaie said. “Essentially, people with excessive amounts of methane have many gastrointestinal symptoms, including constipation, flatulence, bloating and diarrhea.”
This research offers hope for people struggling with constipation and paves the way for research into the link between the gut microbiome and digestion.