New research links chronic stress combined with late-night eating to increased risks of constipation, diarrhea, and reduced gut microbiome diversity. Scientists analyzed data from over 11,000 participants in a national survey. The findings are set to be presented at Digestive Disease Week on May 4.
Chronic stress disrupts digestion, causing issues like diarrhea and constipation. Researchers found that eating more than 25% of daily calories after 9 p.m. worsens these problems for stressed individuals. Those with high stress levels faced a 1.7 times higher risk of bowel issues compared to others, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey involving over 11,000 people. High allostatic load scores, reflecting cumulative stress from factors like BMI, cholesterol, and blood pressure, correlated with these digestive troubles. A separate analysis of over 4,000 participants in the American Gut Project confirmed the pattern. Stressed individuals who ate late were 2.5 times more likely to report bowel problems and showed lower diversity in beneficial gut bacteria. This suggests meal timing affects the gut-brain axis, which connects the brain, hormones, nerves, and microbiome. Dr. Harika Dadigiri, lead author and resident physician at New York Medical College at Saint Mary's and Saint Clare's Hospital, will present the study titled 'Beyond sleep alone: How stress and late-night eating disrupt bowel habits and gut microbiome diversity, a multi-cohort study' at Digestive Disease Week 2026. The presentation is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, May 4, as abstract Mo1769. > 'It's not just what you eat, but when you eat it,' Dadigiri said. 'And when we're already under stress, that timing may deliver a 'double hit' to gut health.' The observational study highlights chrononutrition, the role of the body's internal clock in food processing, but cannot prove causation. Dadigiri recommends structured meal routines for better digestive health. > 'I'm not the ice cream police,' she added. 'Everyone should eat their ice cream -- maybe preferably earlier in the day. Small, consistent habits... may help promote more regular eating patterns.'
