Constipation | Hydration | High fiber | Coffee | Probiotics | Low FODMAP | Prunes
Constipation is an unbelievably common problem in the United States alone, where at least 20% of people see a doctor every year to find relief. It occurs when there is less frequency of bowel movements and it becomes difficult for a person to relieve themselves without straining.
What causes constipation? People experience constipation for different reasons; varying from foods they eat or avoid, use of certain medications, their lifestyle choices, or prevailing medical/health conditions.
Constipation may adversely affect quality of life, as well as physical and mental health. In this blog, we provide guidance for the relief of constipation symptoms (naturally).
The link between Dehydration & Constipation
Dehydration is the number one cause of constipation. If your body is dehydrated (needs more water consumption), your bowels will absorb more water from body waste. This, in turn, dries out stool particles, making it hard for them to pass through the body.
As food moves through our gut after a meal, nutrients present in our meal are absorbed. This partially digested food passes through the small intestine making its way to our colon.
Most absorption (90%) including water occurs in the small intestine. Further, the colon absorbs any remaining excess water as well as any remaining nutrients. If you have constipation symptoms, this means that food will move slower through your gut, giving more time to your large intestine to absorb water (from waste products). This makes the stool hard and dry and difficult to pass.
If you are having constipation symptoms, so don’t worry. Nubian Doc, with its 8 week health plan will be your guide to healthy food recipes and easy exercise programs to help alleviate the signs and symptoms of constipation.
Stay Hydrated
In order to avoid dehydration, it is important to drink an adequate amount of water. Drinking enough fluid helps keep our stools soft, and “lubricated”.
Experts suggest that women should get at least 91 ounces whereas men should get at least 125 ounces of water each day from drinks and food they eat.
For overall healthy individuals, drinking 8 glasses of water a day is a steady goal and is one of the natural remedies for constipation. So, it’s time to get up and refill your glass of water!
Summary: Dehydration is one of the leading causes for constipation, as the GI tract functions to absorb water from waste material in order to compensate for the body’s water deficit. This makes stools hard and dry, leading to strain during bowel movements. Drinking enough fluids keeps stools soft and easy to pass.
What Is the Role of ‘Fiber’ in Treating Constipation?
Eat a High-fiber Diet
In order to additionally treat constipation, it’s recommended to increase your daily intake of dietary fiber. Adequate Intake of Dietary fiber allows food to move through the gut smoothly.
Fiber (especially soluble fiber) gets dissolved in water, forming a gel-like substance that mechanically slows down the process of digestion (once it interacts with other food particles in the gut).
It also happens because increased fiber intake helps increase the bulk and consistency of bowel movements, making them easier to pass through the digestive tract.
Studies suggest that increased fiber intake may help food pass through your gut more easily and proves to be one of the natural ways to help constipation.
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Types of fiber
There is more than one type of fiber, and they all have distinct health benefits. The two major types of fiber include:
- Soluble Fiber
- Insoluble Fiber
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber gets dissolved in water, forming a mucilage type substance that mechanically slows down the process of digestion (once it interacts with other food particles in the gut).
In addition, soluble fiber helps reduce the absorption of bile acid. These are molecules we release in order to absorb dietary cholesterol. Nuts, beans, oatmeal, apples, lentils, etc. are some sources of soluble fiber.
Insoluble fiber
As the name indicates, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. Instead, it helps hydrate and move food through gut in order to promote regularity and prevent constipation.. Insoluble fiber is majorly found in wheat, whole wheat bread, legumes, carrots and cucumbers.
These 5 lifestyle changes relieve constipation symptoms.
Summary: Adequate fiber intake can help alleviate the symptoms associated with constipation, and it allows food to move smoothly through the gut. Increased fiber intake may also help increase the bulk and consistency of bowel movements, making them easier to pass through our digestive tract. Two major types of dietary fibers include soluble fiber and Insoluble fiber.
The Role of Exercising in Constipation
Move your body
Research studies suggest that regular physical activity can help improve the symptoms of constipation.
Research also indicates that a sedentary or inactive lifestyle may be linked with an increased risk of developing constipation. Health experts recommend increasing physical activity in order to accomplish bowel movement regularity. Its likely that movement provides mechanical assistance in helping our bowels work better as well as providing increased blood flow allowing improved smooth muscle contraction in the intestines.
Studies have also linked moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) with potential improvement in digestive symptoms among people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Put on your running shoes and make exercising a habit, if you want to keep your bowel movements regular!
How Does the FODMAP Diet help?
FODMAP stands for fermentable Oligosaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.
- Fermentable: creates gas
- Oligosaccharides: specific types of fiber found in beans, onion, wheat and garlic
- Disaccharide: lactose (or milk sugar) found in milk, yogurt and ice cream
- Monosaccharide: excess fructose, found in mango, apples, pears and watermelon
- And
- Polyols: a group of sugar alcohols used to sweeten sugar-free gum, and found naturally in pears, plums, nectarines, and cauliflower etc.
Low FODMAP is a diet that can help treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome and as a consequence, it also helps alleviate the symptoms of IBS-related constipation.
Constipation can be one of the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome and low FODMAP diets can help treat IBS by alleviating the symptoms of IBS- related constipation.
A low FODMAP diet involves the elimination of high FODMAP foods, gradually re-introducing them to your diet later (to gauge which ones your body can or cannot tolerate). This way, FODMAP diet is one of the effective ways to relieve constipation. It should be noted that the FODMAP diet is targeted at reducing/eliminating those sugars that may cause intestinal problems. For instance, lactose can produce intestinal distress for those that are lactose intolerant.
Summary: Ongoing scientific studies suggest that regular physical activity helps alleviate the symptoms of constipation by keeping our bowel movements regular. Constipation can be one of the many symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and a low FODMAP diet can help treat IBS-related constipation.
Foods for Constipation
Eat a ‘Probiotic-rich’ Diet
Probiotics are defined as a mixture of live bacteria and/or yeasts that are good for your body, especially for digestive health. They naturally live in your body and are termed as ‘good’ or ‘helpful’ bacteria because they keep your digestive system healthy.
According to ongoing research, a diet rich in probiotics can help prevent chronic constipation. You can increase the level of probiotics in your body by consuming foods high in probiotics such as yogurt, Kefir, Sauerkraut, Bananas, Acidophilus milk, etc.
An ongoing scientific investigation shows that consuming probiotic rich foods prove to be one of the best foods to relieve constipation by increasing stool frequency and improving stool consistency.
Owing to their property of producing short-chain fatty acids, probiotics may help improve gut movements to make it easier to pass stools.
Check out Nubian Doc’s educational blog on “benefits of probiotics” to understand the importance of incorporating probiotics in your diet.
Incorporate ‘Prebiotic Food’ in Your Diet
Prebiotics are defined as indigestible carbohydrate fibers, even though they are much more than just dietary fiber.
Dietary fiber helps relieve the symptoms of constipation by working on the consistency and bulk of bowel excretions, but prebiotics work on improving overall ‘gut health’.
Prebiotics may help improve gut health by feeding healthy bacteria in the digestive tract, which in turn boosts the growth of probiotics and helps maintain the balance of the gut microbiome. Continual scientific research shows that prebiotic fibers may help soften stools, as well as increase the frequency of bowel movements.
Summary: Scientific research states that consuming probiotic-rich foods may help treat constipation by improving stool frequency and consistency. Prebiotic fibers may help soften bowel excretions and increase bowel movements to relieve constipation.
How to get rid of constipation?
Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium citrate is an osmotic laxative that can be bought over the counter or online. It’s one of the popular home remedies used to treat constipation. Taking adequate amounts of magnesium from your diet or supplements may help alleviate the symptoms of constipation.
Magnesium citrate is also used for cleaning out bowels and preparing the body before surgery.
Consume Prunes
A Prune is a dried form of a certain species of plum. Prunes and ‘Prune juice’ are the natural cure for constipation. Prunes are also easily accessible and affordable for everyone. Along with fiber, prunes are rich in sorbitol.
Sorbitol is defined as sugar alcohol which is known for its laxative effect. Various researches even detail that prunes may work in a better and effective manner than some fibers such as psyllium.
However, people who have IBS should take prune consumption into account, as it is categorized under high FODMAP foods and may cause gas and bloating.
Morning Coffee
Doesn’t it sound like a flavorful and instant constipation relief early in the morning? Drinking Drinking caffeinated coffee can help contract intestinal muscles, stimulating motor activity in the colon.
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Summary: Taking in adequate amounts of magnesium from your diet or through supplements may help alleviate symptoms of constipation. Owing to the fiber and sorbitol content of prunes, they may help relieve constipation symptoms as well.
Drinking caffeinated coffee can help contract the muscles in your intestine, and this stimulation can help move stools through the digestive tract towards your rectum.
Complications Related to Constipation
If left untreated for a long period of time, constipation may lead to other health problems. There are a few complications that are associated with dry, hard and irregular bowel movements. Some of them are listed below:
- Development of a condition called hemorrhoids, which is characterized by swollen and inflamed blood vessels in the rectum
- Occurrence of anal fissures that are described as ‘tears’ in the lining of the anus (due to hardened and dry stools trying to pass out)
- An abnormal or too much accumulation of stool in the rectum and anus: a condition called ‘fecal impaction’
- A risk of developing diverticulitis (an infection of pouches or diverticula formed in intestines) from the stool that has been trapped and infected
Bottom Line
Digestion and defecation are essential body functions providing nutrients to the body and eliminating waste. Constipation is a derangement and occurs when fecal matter hardens in the colon, becoming difficult to pass.
Some simple and easy to follow remedies for quick constipation relief include increasing dietary fiber in diet, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, having probiotics and prebiotics in your diet, eating a diet low in FODMAPs, incorporating physical activity, drinking caffeinated beverages and taking laxatives.
There are some complications related to constipation, such as the development of hemorrhoids, anal fissures, fecal impaction and diverticulitis.
Constipation may be a sign of a greater health concern, so consult your physician or healthcare professional if the condition persists.
If you are looking for authentic health advice, NubianDoc is here to help.
With our premium 8-week health and well-being program, we can assist you in practicing exercises to help constipation and in preparing constipation diet plan to accomplish your health objectives. Reach out to us now.
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