These foods are very laxative! They can be called "constipation terminators", eat them!

Constipation is a very common problem! For some people, it is just a minor incident in life, but for others, it is torture! Every time you go to the toilet, you are like a living "mask of pain".

The overall prevalence of chronic constipation among adults in my country is 10.9%, and the likelihood of suffering from constipation increases with age. The prevalence of chronic constipation among people over 60 years old can be as high as 17.6%. Although constipation is generally not life-threatening, it can reduce the quality of life and affect health. [1]

There are rumors that eating bananas, drinking honey water, and drinking sesame oil can prevent constipation, but for some people these methods are useless! On the contrary, some wrong practices will make constipation worse. Why is this? What are the dangers of frequent constipation? What foods can help with bowel movements? This article will solve the problem of "shitting".

1. What is constipation?

Many people think that if they have trouble going to the toilet, they are constipated. In fact, this is not necessarily the case! According to the "Guidelines for Primary Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Constipation 2019": Constipation is manifested as difficulty in defecation and/or reduced bowel movement, and hard and dry stools. Reduced bowel movement means less than 3 bowel movements per week.

If constipation lasts for more than 6 months, it is considered chronic constipation.

If you only have difficulty defecating one day but are normal the next day, it is not constipation and you don't need to worry. It may be related to your diet and exercise.

If you suffer from chronic constipation, you should be careful, because constipation can not only make people depressed and anxious, but also induce anal fissures, hemorrhoids, and even increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Because defecation causes abdominal pressure to increase for a long time, reducing the amount of blood returning to the heart, while also causing a continuous increase in intracranial pressure, which can easily lead to malignant arrhythmias and cerebrovascular accidents, and even endanger life. [2]

In addition, long-term constipation can also increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

2. These foods can help with bowel movements

If you want to have smooth bowel movements, you should pay attention to supplementing dietary fiber in your diet. This is because the soluble dietary fiber in the dietary fiber can be absorbed and expanded, making people feel the urge to defecate; while the insoluble dietary fiber can stimulate the mechanical movement of the intestines and promote defecation.

For common foods that are high in dietary fiber, please refer to the recommendations in the table below [3]. At the same time, make sure to drink plenty of water.

Common Fruit Dietary Fiber Ranking

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In addition, although the dietary fiber content of prunes is not as high as those fruits listed in the table, according to the data in the "Chinese Food Composition Table", its insoluble dietary fiber content is only 0.7 grams/100 grams, but eating it can also promote bowel movements.

Because prunes, like pears, contain sorbitol, which can easily cause diarrhea due to its osmotic effect and its ability to promote gastrointestinal motility. Generally, eating about 5 grams at a time will cause abdominal discomfort, and eating more than 10 grams will cause diarrhea. [4] Fresh prunes contain about 2.6 grams of sorbitol per 100 grams, so eating just 300 to 400 grams may cause diarrhea.

Common vegetable dietary fiber ranking

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Common dry beans dietary fiber ranking

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Common dried fungi dietary fiber ranking

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Common Cereal Dietary Fiber Ranking

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3. These practices will aggravate constipation

Although a proper diet can reduce the risk of constipation, some people still suffer from constipation even though they are very careful about their diet. This may be related to an incorrect lifestyle. If you have the following habits, you must adjust them.

1. Dieting: Many female friends who love beauty often "torture" themselves by dieting in order to make their bodies slimmer. Eating too little will not only lead to malnutrition, but also cause less food residue, which is not enough to make people feel the urge to defecate. This will cause the water in the small amount of food residue that reaches the large intestine first to be absorbed by the large intestine, and over time it will become dry and hard, which is easy to cause constipation.

2. Don’t like to drink water: Water-soluble dietary fiber needs enough water to absorb water and swell, making the stool softer and preventing constipation. It is recommended to drink at least 1500 ml of water per day for women and at least 1700 ml for men.

3. Holding back poop: When you are busy at work or in class, you suddenly feel the urge to defecate. In order not to affect your rhythm, many people will choose to hold it back for a while. The poop is forced to stay in the intestines, and the large intestine will continue to absorb the water in the feces. The longer you hold it back, the drier and harder the feces will be, which can easily lead to constipation. Moreover, holding back poop frequently will also weaken the defecation reflex.

4. Lack of exercise: Studies have shown that long-term lack of exercise is a risk factor for reduced gastrointestinal motility, which can lead to constipation. Aerobic exercise can improve gastrointestinal motility and facilitate defecation, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, and aerobics. Moderate-intensity exercise can promote digestion, enhance gastrointestinal motility, and prevent constipation, but high-intensity exercise and excessively long endurance training can aggravate constipation. [5]

Moderate intensity means that you can talk fluently but not sing during exercise.

5. Taking laxatives frequently: Although laxatives can temporarily relieve constipation problems, taking them frequently will lead to drug dependence, which will aggravate constipation.

Therefore, in order to prevent constipation, these wrong living habits must be corrected as much as possible, and the habit of regular bowel movements must be developed. Do not look at mobile phones or newspapers while defecating.

4. These 3 folk defecation methods are not reliable

1. Eating bananas may not necessarily help with constipation, but may even make you more constipated

Many people choose to eat bananas to relieve constipation when they are constipated. In fact, choosing the wrong banana will make you more constipated!

If you eat unripe bananas, not only will they not help relieve constipation, but they will also aggravate constipation because the tannic acid in unripe bananas has an astringent effect. If you really want to eat them, choose ripe ones with black spots on the skin and slightly soft when pinched.

2. Drink honey water to moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements?

Truth: It doesn’t work for everyone.

If you achieve the so-called "laxative" effect after drinking honey water, it means you have fructose intolerance.

Honey contains a lot of fructose, but some people's intestines absorb fructose slowly. In order to balance the osmotic pressure in the intestine, water will enter the intestinal cavity, and the stool volume will increase, thereby increasing stool excretion. Some people may also experience diarrhea!

In addition, 75.6% of honey is sugar, including glucose and fructose, 22% is water, and fat and protein account for 2.3%. Other ingredients such as vitamins and minerals do exist, but the total content of all these ingredients is less than 0.1%. [3]

Honey has no special nutritional value, but it has a high calorie content. 10 grams of honey contains 8 grams of sugar, which is not only high in sugar, but also has a high calorie content of 321 kcal/100g. Drinking too much honey can make you fat!

3. Can drinking light salt water promote bowel movements?

There is a folk rumor that "drinking a glass of light salt water every morning can promote gastrointestinal motility and prevent constipation." In fact, this method has little effect on defecation. The main component of salt is sodium chloride, and there is currently no relevant evidence to prove that oral sodium chloride can promote defecation.

Moreover, a 300ml cup of light salt water generally requires about 2g of salt. According to the recommendation of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", the daily salt intake per person should be less than 5g. If you drink water in the morning and consume nearly 2g of salt, then the salt intake for the whole day will easily exceed the standard, which is not good for cardiovascular health and will increase the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, etc.

If you just want to drink something, just choose boiled water. A glass of water in the morning can start gastrointestinal peristalsis and promote constipation.

Summarize:

Constipation is really a painful thing! If you already have constipation, don't try all kinds of "home remedies" randomly. To prevent constipation scientifically, you should start with a reasonable diet and change your lifestyle habits. In addition, don't take medicine randomly!

References:

[1] Yang Zhi, Wu Chenxi, Gao Jing, Bai Dingxi, Zhu Lin, Liu Ruirui, Liang Yun, Wu Qiao. Meta-analysis of the prevalence of chronic constipation in Chinese adults[J]. Chinese Journal of General Practice, 2021, 24(16): 2092-2097.

[2] Lü Henggang, Song Yunping, Guo Xin, et al. Harm and prevention of constipation[J]. Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2019, 37(8):198.

[3] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[4]Hyams, JS (1983). Sorbitol intolerance: an unappreciated cause of functional gastrointestinal complaints. Gastroenterology, 84(1), 30-33.

[5] Hu Xiaomin, Ye Jiamei, Wang Liqun, Pang Richao, Wang Wenchun, Zhang Anren. Exploring the possible mechanism of exercise improving chronic constipation based on intestinal flora[J]. Chinese General Practice, 2021, 24(15): 1984-1988.