Overview
- The Gut paper analyzed genetics and stool frequency in 268,606 people of European and East Asian ancestry, identifying 21 loci, including 10 not previously reported.
- Fine-mapping prioritized SLC35F3 and XPR1, implicating thiamine transport and activation as key mechanisms linked to how often people have bowel movements.
- A UK Biobank analysis of 98,449 participants found higher dietary thiamine intake associated with more frequent bowel movements, with effects modified by SLC35F3/XPR1 genotype.
- The results reinforced established gut-regulation pathways, including bile acid metabolism and acetylcholine-driven nerve signaling, and estimated modest heritability of stool frequency.
- Authors highlight potential for personalized nutritional or pharmacological approaches for motility disorders such as IBS, while noting limitations of self-reported data and that associations do not prove causation.