Constipation is one of the problems frequently experienced by\nastronauts in outer space. However, the cause of this difficulty in\ndefecating remains a mystery.<\/p>\n
To find out, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and NASA\nanalysed blood samples from astronauts collected before, during and\nafter space missions.<\/p>\n
The samples were taken from 52 astronauts who lived on the\nInternational Space Station (ISS). All astronauts carried out missions\nlasting between two and nine months in the period 2006-2018.<\/p>\n
The team applied metabolomics techniques in this study to measure\nsmall molecules in the blood.<\/p>\n
It was found that the movement of food through the intestines slows\ndown due to microgravity. This alters the way gut bacteria break down\nnutrients.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw changes in the astronauts\u2019 blood samples indicating that gut\nbacteria began fermenting protein in larger amounts within a few weeks\nof the astronauts arriving in space, and this change continued until\nthey returned to Earth,\u201d explained one of the study authors, Giorgia La\nBarbera, as quoted from Space on Wednesday (26\/8\/2026).<\/p>\n
A total of 488 plasma samples were analysed and changes in 40\ncompounds were found during flight. These included a number of\nmetabolites produced when bacteria in the large intestine ferment\nprotein.<\/p>\n
All of these compounds increased while in space, indicating that food\nmoves more through the intestines.<\/p>\n
This metabolic change is said not to stem from diet alone. One of the\nstudy authors, Henrik Roager, explained that the lack of gravity in\nspace likely makes food move more slowly through the intestines.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis could also explain the reason for constipation in astronauts,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The findings of this study are important given the increasing length\nof time astronauts spend in outer space. Not only constipation, the\nimpact of this phenomenon could also be linked to other health\neffects.<\/p>\n
This could be addressed with a potentially simple solution, namely\nincreasing fibre intake. Slowly fermented carbohydrate intake for\nastronauts is believed to provide gut microbes with more carbohydrates\nto consume and reduce reliance on protein fermentation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/astronauts-constipation-woes-researchers-seek-solutions-1787752319", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }