Treating Constipation: Nutrition

Constipation is a very real and daily preoccupation for some. The pain and general discomfort is unfortunate and because of this many seek to chemically remedy their situation only to exacerbate the problem. How then, can a person pull themselves from this seemingly unending daily cycle? There are three specific techniques to utilize on the daily basis (note the emphasis which is mine) for long term, lasting relief. Proper nutrition, stress relief and detoxification are essential for great intestinal health. This article will focus on nutrition.

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Proper Nutrition

We in the western world have a fast food problem leading us down a road of epidemic health concerns. Obesity, hypertension, malnutrition (more on this later) and of course constipation are just a few of the outcomes of constantly pulling around to the drive-thru window. Before we go any further in this discussion the need to explain what fast food is arises so we can all be on the same page. We have our usual suspects of course. Those places labeling themselves as “fast food” or the new catch phrase “quick service” restaurants (in an attempt to confusion and befuddle people who are on to them) are obvious but there are other types of fast food. Please consider that just about anything you can microwave as a meal or snack from your grocers freezer or shelf  is “fast food”. We don’t traditionally think of restaurants that you sit down and order from a menu without numbers as being fast food but they most certainly can be. Fast food isn’t about how quickly you get your food. It’s about how processed the food is and it is these highly processed foods (to include junk food) that wreak havoc on our digestive health and then our health overall. 

When it comes to proper nutrition a great place to start is with fruits and vegetables. Obvious, right? Fruits and veggies should comprise at least 60% of the diet especially if you are prone to constipation. Not only are fruits and vegetables nutrient rich but they are easily digested which is extremely important where constipation issues are concerned. 20% of the diet should come from complex carbohydrates (whole grains, cereals), 15% from proteins and 5% from fats (quality fats like Omega 3 and Omega 6 found in legumes and nuts). Here is an interesting fact. Adding 20g (just under an ounce) of bran to the daily diet will increase fecal weight by 127% and reduce food transit time in the digestive tract by 40%! Food transit time is a great indicator for how well the digestive tract is functioning.

There are many people who now avoid carbs like the plague but without complex carbs, where the majority of our fiber comes from, we risk chronic constipation. Our bodies were built with some level of balance in mind not extremes. The extreme of avoiding all carbs will only cause issues. It is agreed that all simple carbs should be avoided when possible (highly refined sugars and highly refined flour products) but complex ones should be embraced. Extremes in any form will ultimately lead to suffering. 

Malnutrition was mentioned earlier because not many people know or realize just how malnourished we are as a society. We think we have plenty of food but we do not. What we have is plenty of “stuff” designed to look and taste like food and can be highly addictive (a subject for another article most likely). The truth is most of what we consider food today is void of the most basic nutrition and as such is extremely difficult to eliminate from our bodies. The “stuff “ we eat turns into a sort of gelatinous goo which coats the intestines preventing the uptake of nutrients when we do get something wholesome into our stomachs. The result is constipation. The result is malnourishment. The result is degenerative disease. The result then becomes premature death. After all, it has been noted by ancient physicians and new that death begins in the belly. 

Not So Fun Fact: It is estimated that 90% of all acid reflux issues are due to slow digestion predicated by poor elimination of waste in the colon (i.e. constipation).

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Constipation and Your Health: The Beginning of the End Part II

Our modern lifestyles have helped to usher many new and wondrous things into our lives but also some downright devastating ventures. How and what we eat, how we handle stress, and the excessive amounts of drugs, pharmaceutical and otherwise, damages our health through constipation.

Highly processed foods have become a main stay in the average American diet. Highly processed foods (bleached and enriched bread products, junk food, refined sugar, etc.) not only tend to be void of nutrition but also notoriously difficult to eliminate from the system with any kind of efficiency. Highly processed food (if you can call it food) which is not easily eliminated causes a log jam (no pun intended) in the intestines that becomes increasingly worse with each passing day. The lack of soluble and insoluble fiber in our diets only serves to compound the problem.

Stress is known as a silent killer that affects the cardiovascular system but what is often not known is how stress affects our digestion. We know that stress can create ulcers in the stomach but did you know it can lead to other gastrointestinal issues like constipation? In extreme cases stress can cause peristalsis to become extremely weak. Peristalsis describes the involuntary contractions of the colon which helps eliminate waste. Weak peristalsis makes the colon dysfunctional and constipation ensues. Also, highly stressed people tend to be enzyme deficient leading to poor digestion setting them up for constipation.

As previously mentioned Americans spend approximately $700 million annually on laxatives. While occasional use may be fine chronic laxative use can cause more harm than good. Laxatives stimulate contractions in the intestines by affecting the nerves. These stimulations are abnormal and can lead to a slow paralysis of those nerves making constipation a lifelong issue. In addition, common medications like antibiotics tend to disrupt natural intestinal flora (the balance between good bacteria and harmful bacteria). A buildup of toxic material in the intestines is a result causing constipation. Other drug types that cause constipation as a side effect are anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, antacids, antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs and diuretics.

The treatments for constipation will be discussed in the next post.

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Constipation and Your Health: The Beginning of the End Part I

It is estimated that 80% of Americans suffer from constipation at some point in their lives. Among those a great number of people suffer from the condition chronically going several days a week without a bowel movement. Upwards of $700 million annually is spent on laxatives whether they be over-the-counter or prescribed. Despite the vast amounts of money spent constipation is often overlooked as the significant detriment to our health that it is.

There are two components to constipation that makes it so damaging: malnourishment and toxin elimination. Believe it or not America is one of the most malnourished countries on the face of the earth for several reasons which we will cover shortly. Sure we have plenty to eat but often what we eat leads to constipation. Once we are constipated the intestines can no longer efficiently absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat. We end up satisfying our appetites but failing to benefit from it. Not only do the intestines have a difficult time with absorption of nutrients but the ability to eliminate toxins from the body also becomes negatively impacted. Without proper elimination toxins remain in the body wreaking havoc on our systems by disrupting vital processes or distracting and exhausting the immune system. Chronic sufferers begin a slow descent into other poor health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc., etc. because the list goes on. The truth of the matter is that our health literally begins where our foods journey through the body ends: the colon and intestines.

This post series will cover the causes of constipation, treatments, and recommendations for overcoming constipation.

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