Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41081513›Full record

GuidelineJournal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association2025

British Dietetic Association Guidelines for the Dietary Management of Chronic Constipation in Adults.

Eirini Dimidi, Alice van der Schoot, Kevin Barrett, Adam D Farmer, Miranda C Lomer, S Mark Scott, Kevin Whelan

Abstract readPractice Guideline
In one paragraph

Guideline in Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Nutrients · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Eirini DimidiDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0140-0199
Alice van der SchootDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
Kevin BarrettNew Road Surgery, Rickmansworth, UK.
Adam D FarmerDivision of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, St Louis University Hospital, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
Miranda C LomerDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9369-8115
S Mark ScottWingate Institute of Neurogastroenterology, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Kevin WhelanDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5414-2950

Funding

This study was funded by the General and Education Trust Fund, British Dietetic Association.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrent clinical guidelines for chronic constipation offer limited dietary recommendations. The aim of this project was to develop the first comprehensive evidence-based dietary guidelines for the management of chronic constipation in adults.

methodsFour systematic reviews and meta-analyses were performed to identify eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The findings generated from the meta-analyses were then used to develop guideline statements using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and a Delphi consensus survey among a multi-disciplinary expert Guideline Steering Committee. Recommendation statements were produced for treatment response, stool output, gut symptoms, adverse events, and quality of life, and only based on the findings where ≥ 2 RCTs contributed to the meta-analysis. The strength of recommendation was assessed using the GRADE approach. Consensus voting amongst the Guideline Steering Committee was performed using a modified Delphi survey approach.

resultsThe four systematic reviews included a total of 75 RCTs. Fifty-nine dietary recommendation statements were generated and accepted through the Delphi survey. For dietary supplements, 15 recommendation statements relate to fibre supplements, 20 relate to probiotics, 2 to synbiotics, 5 to magnesium oxide, 2 to senna, and 3 to kiwifruit supplements. For foods, three recommendation statements related to kiwifruits, two to prunes, and two to rye bread. For drinks, five recommendation statements related to high mineral-containing water. No recommendations were made for whole diet approaches due to a lack of evidence. Twelve statements had a very low level of evidence, 39 had a low level of evidence, and 8 had moderate evidence. Twenty-seven statements were strong recommendations, and 32 were qualified recommendations.

conclusionsThese are the first comprehensive evidence-based dietary guidelines for the management of constipation based upon a robust systematic review and GRADE processes. Recommendations were made for dietary supplements, foods and drinks that have never been previously included in clinical guidelines, and can now be rapidly implemented into clinical practice, thereby improving clinical care and patient outcomes.

Indexed as

ConstipationDietNutrition PolicyAdultChronic DiseaseConsensusDelphi TechniqueDietary FiberDietary SupplementsDieteticsEvidence-Based MedicineHumansMagnesium OxideMeta-Analysis as TopicProbioticsQuality of LifeDietary FiberMagnesium Oxideconstipationdietfibregut healthnutrition

Identifiers

PMID41081513
PMCPMC12517116

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.