Scientists from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that taking laxatives regularly increases the risk of dementia by more than 50%. The researchers presented the results of their study in a paper published in the journal Science. neurology.
The study’s authors conducted a study involving 502,000 people whose data were available to scientists. More than 18,000 patients regularly took laxatives. During a follow-up of approximately 10 years, 218 (1.3%) frequent laxative users and 1,969 (0.4%) nonusers developed dementia.
Scientists note that in old age people often begin to suffer from constipation and take laxatives. However, these drugs can disrupt the gut microflora and increase the production of toxins in the gut that can affect the brain.
In future studies, the scientists plan to confirm the results obtained in this study and to more accurately determine the reasons for the association between laxatives and higher risks of developing dementia.