Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 23: Chronic stress can disrupt bowel function, and eating late at night may further aggravate the problem, with possible effects on digestive health and the gut microbiome, a new study has suggested.

Researchers analysed data from more than 11,000 participants in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that people with high chronic stress levels who consumed more than 25 per cent of their daily calories after 9 pm were 1.7 times more likely to experience constipation and diarrhoea.

The study linked the risk to high allostatic load — a measure of cumulative physiological stress reflected through indicators such as body mass index, cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

“It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat it,” said Harika Dadigiri, resident physician at New York Medical College at Saint Mary’s and Saint Clare’s Hospital, and lead author of the study.

“And when we’re already under stress, that timing may deliver a double hit to gut health,” she added.

Researchers also examined data from over 4,000 participants in the American Gut Project and found that individuals with both high stress levels and late-night eating habits were 2.5 times more likely to report bowel-related problems.

The study further found that these individuals had significantly lower gut microbiome diversity, suggesting meal timing may intensify the impact of stress on the microbiome through the gut-brain axis — the communication network involving nerves, hormones and gut bacteria.

While the findings point to strong associations, researchers clarified that they do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship and called for further studies to better understand how stress, eating patterns and gut health interact.

Dr Dadigiri said maintaining structured meal routines and small consistent habits may help support digestive function over time.

“Small, consistent habits, like maintaining a structured meal routine, may help promote more regular eating patterns and support digestive function over time,” she said.