Dietary fiber and distressing gastrointestinal symptoms in midlife women.

In this descriptive study, 20 midlife women experiencing chronic distressing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms recorded GI symptom severity in a symptom diary for a 30-day period and dietary intake in a 9-day food record. A wide variability in GI symptom severity was noted. Significant negative relationships were present between dietary fiber intake and abdominal pain, awakening with abdominal pain, nausea, awakening with nausea, and awakening with rectal pain. No significant relationships were noted between amount of caffeine or alcohol intake and distressing GI symptoms.