[In Focus] Dietary management of constipation: time for clinical guidelines to catch up with evidence

Chronic constipation is one of the most common disorders of gut–brain interaction, affecting around one in ten adults worldwide. For many, it is more than an inconvenience, impacting quality of life, work productivity, and finances (health-care costs, etc). Unsurprisingly, people often attempt to manage their constipation symptoms through dietary changes first. However, there has been a disconnect in that, despite considerable expansion in research on dietary strategies for constipation in recent years, national and international guidelines have not shifted accordingly.