Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms

Table 1 Age and sex of all patients, segregated by post-consultation dietary fiber intake

Variable	General (n = 63)	No fiber (n = 41)	P value	Reduced fiber (n = 16)	P value	High fiber (n = 6)	P value
Age (yr), mean (range)	47 (20-80)	46 (21-80)	0.864	45 (20-65)	0.459	59 (28-75)	0.052
Sex1n (%)	16 (25.4)	15 (36.6)	0.258	1 (6.25)	0.034	0 (0)	< 0.01

¹Numbers of male in each group. Corresponding P values for the age and sex of each category to the overall mean are provided.

Table 2 Symptoms at presentation and at 6 mo following change in dietary fiber intake

Symptom	Symptoms at presentation (n = 63)	High dietary fiber (n = 6)	P value	Reduced dietary fiber (n = 16)	P value	No dietary fiber (n = 41)	P value
Anal bleeding	31	4	1	4	0.216	0	< 0.001
Constipation	63	6	1	12	0.041	0	< 0.001
Bloatedness	33	6	1	5	0.041	0	< 0.001
Strain in bowel opening	63	6	1	9	0.004	0	< 0.001
Abdominal pain	13	3	1	2	0.164	0	0.012