Nature Study Ties 52 Astronauts' Constipation to Microgravity-Altered Gut Microbiomes
Updated
Updated · CNET · Aug 21
Nature Study Ties 52 Astronauts' Constipation to Microgravity-Altered Gut Microbiomes
3 articles · Updated · CNET · Aug 21
Summary
Samples from 52 astronauts who spent months on the ISS showed microgravity slows food transit through the gut, giving researchers a leading explanation for astronauts’ frequent constipation.
Within weeks of arrival in space, blood markers indicated gut microbes had exhausted carbohydrates and shifted to fermenting protein, a change the study linked to slower bowel movements and other gastrointestinal problems.
University of Copenhagen researchers and NASA said diets richer in slow-fermented carbohydrates, fiber, whole foods and possibly prebiotics could keep microbes fermenting fiber instead of protein and shorten gut transit time.
NASA said the findings are "intriguing" and could inform nutrition changes for longer missions, including Mars, where unresolved constipation could add both short-term discomfort and longer-term health risks.
The researchers said the mechanism may also matter on Earth for bedridden patients with chronic disease, suggesting the spaceflight findings could have broader medical use.