Dietary Habits May Affect Incontinence
A recent study of more than 1,000 middle-aged women from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland found that eating habits appear to be linked to pelvic floor disorders in this group. The study revealed that higher consumption of processed foods and fast food increased the risk of stress and urgency urinary incontinence, while eating more fruits and maintaining a higher quality diet reduced this risk. The prevalence of pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary incontinence and constipation, rises as women approach menopause due to several factors, including estrogen loss, aging of tissues, and increased intra-abdominal pressure.
The study also examined the effects of disordered eating, which includes overeating, restrictive eating, or alternating between the two. Women with disordered eating were more likely to develop symptoms of pelvic floor disorders than their peers with normal eating habits. The research suggests that assessing eating behaviors
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