AT A GLANCE

A new study published in Frontiers in Nutrition suggests that increasing one’s creatine intake could help to protect against chronic constipation.¹

“Given the growing interest in gut health, particularly in the context of irritable bowel syndrome, this study investigates the potential effects of dietary creatine intake on measures of gut health,” explain study authors Zheng et al. “Additionally, in response to anecdotal reports on the internet that have not been corroborated by clinical trials, this research examines the relationship between creatine consumption and gastrointestinal outcomes, aiming to address the existing knowledge gap in this area.”

Using data from the 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, multivariable logistic regression and subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the association between dietary creatine intake and the risk of diarrhea and constipation. Then, restricted cubic spline analysis was performed to assess potential non-linear relationships.

The authors found that, in the fully adjusted model, each one-unit increase in the log-transformed 2-day average dietary creatine intake (equivalent to a 10-fold increase in absolute intake) was associated with a 19% lower risk of chronic constipation, while no significant association was found between the level of dietary creatine intake and chronic diarrhea. Of note, data suggested the protective effect of higher dietary creatine intake against chronic constipation was more pronounced in men, younger individuals, and individuals without cardiovascular disease.

The existence of a linear relationship between 2-day average dietary creatine intake and the risk of chronic constipation was confirmed by restricted cubic spline analysis after adjusting for confounding variables.

“Higher dietary creatine intake may offer protective benefits against chronic constipation, particularly in specific subgroups, while showing no significant association with chronic diarrhea. Further large-scale studies are warranted to clarify creatine's role in gastrointestinal health. These findings highlight the potential of creatine as a dietary factor in promoting gut health,” conclude the authors.

Reference

1.     Zheng B, Huang Z, Wang Z, et al. Association of dietary creatine intake from meat protein sources with different types of intestinal problems: insights from NHANES 2005-2010. Front Nutr. 2025:12:1586569.