Groundbreaking research identifies surprising foods and supplements that can truly help relieve chronic constipation.
Kiwifruit, rye bread, and water rich in minerals may offer relief for people dealing with chronic constipation, according to new research from King’s College London.
The findings come from the first set of evidence-based dietary guidelines specifically designed for adults with chronic constipation. These guidelines highlight several dietary and supplement options that could make a real difference in managing the condition.
According to the research team, psyllium fiber supplements, certain probiotic strains, and magnesium oxide supplements have been shown to help ease constipation.
However, some of the most common recommendations, such as general “high-fiber diets” and senna supplements (a type of laxative), were found to have limited scientific support for their effectiveness.
The new guidelines were jointly published in The Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics and Neurogastroenterology & Motility, with official endorsement from the British Dietetic Association (BDA). They are intended to reshape how healthcare professionals—including doctors, nurses, and dietitians—approach constipation in clinical settings. The guidance also aims to help individuals better manage their symptoms through more targeted dietary and lifestyle choices.
A Common Yet Under-Researched Condition
Constipation is a long-term condition that significantly impacts quality of life and places a considerable financial burden on both patients and healthcare systems. Until now, clinical guidelines have offered only limited and sometimes outdated dietary recommendations, typically increasing dietary fiber and fluid intake.
Unlike previous guidelines, the new recommendations are based on numerous rigorous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and apply the GRADE framework to assess the quality of the evidence. A multidisciplinary panel of experts, including dietitians, a nutritionist, a gastroenterologist, a gut physiologist, and a GP, reviewed over 75 clinical trials to create 59 recommendation statements and identify 12 research priorities.
Dr. Eirini Dimidi, Reader in Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London and lead author, said: “Chronic constipation can have a huge impact on someone’s day-to-day life. For the first time, we’ve provided direction on what dietary approaches could genuinely help, and which diet advice lacks evidence. Being able to improve this condition through dietary changes would allow people to self-manage their symptoms more and, hopefully, improve their quality of life.”
The recommendations also focus on constipation outcomes such as stool frequency, stool consistency, straining, and quality of life, making them more practical for personalized care based on the specific symptoms each individual experiences. A clinician-friendly tool has also been developed to support the adoption of these guidelines in everyday practice across the world.
Gaps in the Research
The evidence review revealed that, while some foods and supplements are effective, the overall quality of existing studies is low. Most trials focused narrowly on single interventions rather than whole diet approaches, highlighting the urgent need for better nutrition research in constipation management.
Dr. Dimidi added, “Eating a high fiber diet offers many benefits to overall health and has been a go-to recommendation for constipation. However, our guidelines found that there simply isn’t enough evidence to suggest it actually works in constipation specifically. Instead, our research reveals some new dietary strategies that could indeed help patients. At the same time, we urgently need more high-quality trials to strengthen the evidence on what works and what doesn’t.”
Professor Kevin Whelan, senior author and Professor of Dietetics at King’s College London, said: “This new guidance marks a promising step towards empowering health professionals and their patients to manage constipation through diet. This means that from now on that people suffering from constipation across the world can now receive up-to-date advice based upon the best available evidence in order to improve their symptoms and wellbeing. With continued research, it holds real potential to drive lasting improvements in quality of life.”
Reference: “British Dietetic Association Guidelines for the Dietary Management of Chronic Constipation in Adults” by Eirini Dimidi, Alice van der Schoot, Kevin Barrett, Adam D. Farmer, Miranda C. Lomer, S. Mark Scott and Kevin Whelan, 13 October 2025, Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
DOI: 10.1111/nmo.70173
Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.
10 Comments
“The evidence review revealed that, while some foods and supplements are effective, the overall quality of existing studies is low.” This statement can be made of much of medical research, and these studies were peer reviewed. This is the real problem. and studies done on non-human animals are also useless. Our medical system is based on highly flawed research. And all this crappy research is considered “evidence-based medicine”.
I have chronic constipation. I have psyllium, magnesium, etc.
The only thing that works for me is…ice cream.
What about Castor oil, or other traditional remedies? How did they fare? What combination of things seem to work best? How about foods which support gut biome? Guess I need to review ‘The Journal for Human Nutrition’.
They could just recommend Taco Bell.
LOLOLOL
I think you’re on to something…or on something.
This article was largely worthless. Why do publishers allow a very interesting topic title setting the expectation of useful solutions, followed by absolutely useless “we need more research”?
What doesn’t work needs to be followed by what DOES work.
Well, as a lifelong sufferer of chronic constipation, I’m glad the scientific community is finally admitting that fiber doesn’t work for everyone. It has never helped me. None of the advice given to me by doctors or internet searches ever worked. Staying hydrated, exercising, eating more fiber, taking probiotics or eating fermented foods, etc. etc. None of it worked. Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease (at age 34) I would eat a bowl of All Bran and that always worked like a charm, but probably because it’s made of wheat and I had undiagnosed celiac disease. After being diagnosed I stopped eating all gluten, went gluten-free, and could no longer use the All Bran. I discovered Mag07 which was the ONLY thing that worked for years and years, but even that has stopped working lately.
I eat a ton of fiber, stay hydrated and try to get exercise when I can (chronic health problems make it difficult). But even when I was younger and used to go jogging regularly, in high school I was on the track team and volleyball team, none of it made a difference with my constipation. Probiotics stopped having any effect, too.
So, I’m just glad the medical and scientific community is finally acknowledging that fiber doesn’t work for constipation in some people and maybe most people.
I might give mineral water a try, but I don’t expect it to do much. I can’t eat rye bread due to the celiac disease, and kiwis give me migraines, so all I’m left with is the mineral water to try.
So…you haven’t tried my ice cream fix? You need to eat a half quart before bed.
Drink coffee! Works wonders for constipation.
Eat prunes and parsnips, but not necessarily together. Eggs seem to work well and beer, again not necessarily together.