A Little Soup Can Help You Lose Weight: Study

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In the first study, Dr. T. C. Dudding, of the Department of Physiology at St. Mark's Hospital in London, England, and colleagues used implanted electrodes to stimulate the sacral nerve in patients who suffered from chronic constipation and had failed to find relief with other treatment.

"Sacral nerve stimulation improves bowel frequency and other symptoms and improves the quality of life for patients with idiopathic constipation," Dudding said.

For 43 patients in the trial who received the stimulation, the average number of times they went to the bathroom increased from 3.4 times a week to 6.1 times a week. In addition, time spent on the toilet decreased from 17.6 minutes to 9.3 minutes, and straining decreased from 4.4 times a week to 2.9 times. In addition, abdominal pain decreased from 4.4 days a week to 2 days, according to the researchers.

The second study, by Dr. P. Voland of the Medical Department of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, and colleagues, uncovered one role played by mucosal enterochromaffin cells in the intestine. It appears these cells react to some spices and herbs, such as thyme, cloves, lily-of-the-valley and brown algae. These substances stimulate the cells to release serotonin, Voland's group found.

Serotonin controls the functioning of the intestines and conditions such as vomiting, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. "These cells are a potential target for the treating gastrointestinal diseases and other disorders," Voland said.

More information

For more information on digestive diseases, visit the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.