Rocketing into the heavens comes with a lot of glory and positive returns, but there is one well-known problem for astronauts in space: constipation. It's not something you'll find on a NASA brochure.

Researchers wanted to know why and examined blood samples from 52 astronauts who had participated in monthslong missions to the International Space Station.

"We see changes in astronauts' blood samples that indicate that the gut bacteria begin to ferment protein to a greater extent than usual within weeks after the astronauts arrive in space, and this change continues until they are back on Earth," said Giorgia La Barbera, an associate professor at the nutrition, exercise and sports department at the University of Copenhagen.

Protein fermentation occurs when gut bacteria begin to break down protein instead of fiber because all the fiber in the diet has already been consumed. It happens to some people on Earth too.

Researchers suggest the lack of gravity in space causes food to move more slowly through the intestine. Bacteria gobble up the fiber, then turn to protein because, well, it's all that's available.

Possible remedies include increased dietary fiber, prebiotic supplementation or other types of treatment that decrease gut transit time.

Body of Knowledge

Your body odor is unique to you, unless you have an identical twin. Infants can recognize the individual scents of their mothers.

Get Me That, Stat!

In 2026, influenza and pneumonia reentered the top 10 causes of death in the United States.

Counts

3: Percentage drop in overall flu vaccination coverage among U.S. adults in 2024-25

56,511: Number of Americans who died from the flu and pneumonia in 2025, a 17% increase from the previous year (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Doc Talk

Proctalgia: Literally, a pain in the butt

Mania of the Week

Empleomania: An obsessive desire or craze to get a government job or hold public office. In some parts of the country, it is epidemic.

Never Say 'Diet'

The Major League Eating speed-eating record for boysenberry pie is 14.5 pounds in eight minutes, held by Joey Chestnut. There is no official record for girlsenberry pie.

Best Medicine

Celebrity: It's great to be here with all you wonderful folks at the Shady Rest Nursing Home. Does anybody know who I am?

Resident: No, but don't worry. Go down to the front desk, and they'll tell you.

Observation

"Life is a sexually transmitted disease, and the mortality rate is one hundred percent." — Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing

Medical History

This week in 1888, a baby incubator was first used in the U.S. to care for an infant at State Emigrant Hospital on Ward's Island, New York. Edith Eleanor McLean weighed 2 pounds, 7 ounces. Originally called a "hatching cradle," the device was 3 feet square and 4 feet high. It was designed to increase the survival rate for premature infants.

At the 1904 World's Fair, premature infants from orphanages and poor families were displayed in 14 metal-framed glass incubators with constant ventilation and a temperature of 90 F, attended by nurses. The care of the infants was paid for by an exhibit admission fee.

Ig Nobel Apprised

The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate achievements that make people laugh, then think. A look at real science that's hard to take seriously and even harder to ignore.

In 1992, the Ig Nobel Prize in Art was jointly presented to Jim Knowlton, for his classic anatomy poster "Penises of the Animal Kingdom," and to the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts, for encouraging Knowlton to extend his work in the form of a pop-up book.

Med School

Q: What is the most prevalent noncontagious disease in the world?

A) Heart disease

B) Obesity

C) Common cold

D) Tooth decay

A: D) Tooth decay. The average person develops between three and four cavities in their lifetime, with more than 90% of adults experiencing at least one cavity.

Last Words

"Now why did I do that?" — British Major-General William Erskine (1770-1813), who attained high commands in the British Army, serving under the Duke of Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars. Later, however, he was cashiered from the army due to charges of insanity. He finally jumped from a window in Lisbon, Portugal, mortally injuring himself.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Brian McGowan at Unsplash