Constipação intestinal na população geriátrica e fibras alimentares

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the nutritional aspects related to constipation in the geriatric population, focusing on the benefits of consumption of dietary fiber. Method: This is a systematic review of the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Research Gate (RG) and Virtual Health Library (VHL) literature, using the keywords: “Elderly; Intestinal constipation; Dietary Fiber; Food fibers; Prebiotic; Eating habits and Gastrointestinal Motility. ” As inclusion criteria, original articles published in the period from 2009 to 2020 were selected. Results: Ten studies were selected and in all of them intestinal constipation was related to age, as well as low fiber consumption, it was also noted that among the constipated geriatric population, women stood out by prevalence. Through interventional studies, it was proved that nutritional counseling and the addition of fiber to the diet led to a decrease in intestinal complaints that characterize constipation. Conclusion: The prevalence of elderly people with constipation despite being associated with several etiologies showed that the inclusion of fibers in the diet brought benefits in terms of the outcome of this study.