Laxatives are common medicines that help people deal with constipation. Many people turn to them when eating more fiber, drinking water, or exercising does not help.
But a recent study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggests that using laxatives regularly may be linked to a higher risk of developing dementia.
The study looked at data from more than 500,000 people in the UK Biobank, a large health database. At the start, none of the participants had dementia. Of these people, about 18,000 (or 3.6%) said they used over-the-counter laxatives regularly. This meant they used laxatives most days of the week during the month before the study began.
Over the next 10 years, researchers followed the participants. They found that 218 regular laxative users (1.3%) developed dementia, while 1,969 people who didn’t use laxatives regularly (0.4%) also developed dementia.
After considering other factors like age, gender, education, medical conditions, medication use, and family history, the researchers found that people who used laxatives regularly had a 51% higher risk of dementia.
The risk was even higher for people who only used osmotic laxatives. These types of laxatives work by pulling water into the colon to soften stools. Other types of laxatives include bulk-forming, stool-softening, and stimulant laxatives.
It’s important to understand that this study shows a connection but not direct proof that laxatives cause dementia. One possible explanation is that frequent laxative use could change the gut’s natural bacteria, known as the gut microbiome.
This might affect signals between the gut and the brain or lead to harmful substances being made in the intestines, which could affect the brain.
The study points out that constipation and the use of laxatives are very common in middle-aged and older adults. Many people use more than one type of laxative or use certain types, like osmotic and stimulant laxatives, regularly—even though these are not meant for long-term use.
There are ways to lower your risk of dementia, whether or not you use laxatives. Some helpful steps include keeping your brain and body active, eating healthy foods, managing health conditions, and getting enough rest.
Doing things like reading, solving puzzles, and spending time with friends can help keep your brain sharp. Regular exercise also helps the brain and body. A healthy diet—such as the Mediterranean diet, which includes lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats—can support brain health.
Managing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol is also important. These illnesses can raise the risk of dementia if not treated properly.
Getting 7–8 hours of sleep each night is also helpful, as poor sleep can affect brain function. Managing stress through relaxation, meditation, or talking to a therapist can also reduce risk. Avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol can protect your brain too.
While we can’t fully prevent dementia, these steps can help reduce the risk and improve overall health. For those wanting to learn more, other studies suggest that vitamin B9 deficiency and low levels of flavonoids may be linked to dementia. Some foods like cranberries and antioxidants may help protect memory and brain health.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and flavonoid-rich foods could help prevent dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that cranberries could help boost memory, and how alcohol, coffee and tea intake influence cognitive decline.
The study was led by Feng Sha and published in the journal Neurology.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
