Elderly persons living in nursing homes or adult care centers are often afflicted with constipation, which give the need for chronic laxative use. Dietary fiber has been proven to improve constipation in several different populations. Elderly individuals often have a lower intake of dietary fiber due to several health factors.
A study from the New York Methodist Hospital was published this May that investigated the effects of a daily fiber supplement for elderly individuals suffering from constipation and chronic laxative use. Ninety-two participants completed the two-year study. They were given 7 grams of fiber three times a day with meals.
At the end of the two-year period 63 of 92 elderly participants had discontinued laxative use and did not suffer from constipation. There were no harmful side effects or adverse outcomes due to the daily fiber supplement use.
This study represents preliminary evidence that a daily fiber supplement may be a useful treatment. However, the study did not have a control group to test the efficacy of the fiber supplement against placebo.
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