As we mention in the article on page 6, eating a diet that emphasizes lots of plants and healthy fats is tied to many health benefits. Here’s another: the eating pattern might help stave off chronic constipation, which becomes more common with age. Harvard researchers evaluated the health and self-reported diets of almost 96,000 people (average age 72) who were followed for two to four years. Participants were categorized by the type of diet they ate—a plant-based diet, Mediterranean-style diet, Western diet, low-carbohydrate diet, or inflammatory diet. When those who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean or a plant-based diet were compared with the others, they were found to have up to a 20% lower risk for chronic constipation. In contrast, people who mostly followed an inflammatory diet or Western diet (both are rich in red meat, unrefined grains, and junk food) had up to a 24% greater risk for constipation. The findings didn’t change regardless of people’s fiber intake. The observational study, published online July 2, 2025, by Gastroenterology, can’t prove conclusively that diets emphasizing plants and healthy fats prevent constipation. However, they are linked to the production of short-chain fatty acids, which may play a role in gut movement, fluids, and responses to inflammation.
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Dining and Cooking