How often a person goes to the bathroom for a bowel movement may be linked to the metabolism of just one vitamin — B1 (thiamine). This conclusion was reached by scientists who studied genetic factors affecting the speed of intestinal function. The study was published in the journal Neurogastroenterology.

The research focused on gut motility — the rate at which food moves through the digestive tract. Disorders of motility underlie constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome. However, the biological mechanisms controlling this process remain poorly understood.

A team led by geneticist Mauro D’Amato from the Basque Science and Technology Alliance analyzed genetic data from more than 260,000 people in Europe and East Asia. The scientists were not initially looking for a link to vitamins, but the results pointed to genes involved in the activation and transport of thiamine.

“Problems with gut motility are at the core of many common diseases, but their biology is extremely complex. Genetic data unexpectedly highlighted vitamin B1 as one of the key directions for further research,” D’Amato noted.

In particular, the researchers identified two gene variants that affect the function of proteins involved in thiamine metabolism. These variants were associated with differences in bowel movement frequency. Additional analysis of data from the UK Biobank (nearly 100,000 participants) showed that dietary intake of vitamin B1 correlates with regular bowel movements; however, in carriers of both genetic variants, the effect was altered.

Thiamine is an essential vitamin found in whole grains, legumes, meat, and fish. It is well known for its role in energy metabolism, but its influence on the gut and the microbiome is only beginning to be explored.

“We used genetics as a map to identify the biological pathways that set the ‘pace’ of intestinal function. And it turned out that vitamin B1 metabolism plays a much more important role than expected,” explained co-author Cristian Díaz-Muñoz.

The authors emphasized that in the future, thiamine could become the basis for personalized approaches to treating constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome — especially in people with certain genetic predispositions.

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