Scientists have finally gotten to the bottom of why astronauts struggle to poop in space, thanks to a new blood test. The findings also reveal an unexpected side effect of this cosmic constipation that may need to be addressed before humans take long-haul trips to Mars and beyond, the study authors say.
As soon as people started living in space, it became apparent that it was harder to go "number two" among the stars than down on Earth — and not just because of how complicated it is to use a space toilet. For most astronauts, this gastrointestinal change is just an inconvenience, but some have to take laxatives to overcome the problem. The drugs are routinely stocked on most space missions, including the recent Artemis II mission.
Constipation is one of several digestive issues astronauts contend with, including bloating, indigestion and acid reflux, according to NASA. And like most other health problems that can affect astronauts, researchers have long suspected that microgravity is the leading cause. However, it has been very hard to prove that hypothesis or understand the other effects that chronic constipation may have on astronauts' general health.
In a new NASA-backed study, published June 29 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers analyzed more than 400 blood samples from 52 astronauts who each spent more than two months at a time living on board the International Space Station (ISS). Their stays took place between 2006 and 2018.
In the blood samples, the team looked for specific metabolites — the byproducts of metabolic processes that break down food, drugs and tissue in the body. They identified 40 such compounds, but the most instructive were those that were produced by gut bacteria that help break down proteins in the intestines.
Source: Live Science
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