Constipation
Information, Research, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
The below provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. Any treatment protocol should be discussed with a qualified healthcare practitioner. Please refer to: Medical & Legal Disclaimer.
Understanding Constipation: A Common Problem
📊 By the Numbers
According to researchers at the University of Iowa, about 15% to 20% of the U.S. population report chronic constipation, with about 4 million Americans experiencing continual constipation. Research indicates that this problem gets worse as you age.
💭 Medical Opinions Differ
- • Conventional doctors: 1 bowel movement daily or every other day may be sufficient
- • Natural practitioners: 2-3 bowel movements daily are necessary for optimal function
Factors That Contribute to Constipation
🍽️ Diet Issues
- • Eating too many refined foods lacking fiber
- • Missing vital nutrients: magnesium, vitamin C, B vitamins, choline
- • Inadequate digestive enzymes
💊 Calcium Supplements
Often prescribed for osteoporosis at 1,200mg daily.
⚠️ Problem:
Over 800mg/day or carbonate-based supplements have a drying, muscle-contracting effect on intestines.
✅ Solutions:
- • Switch to calcium citrate (easier on gut, better absorbed)
- • Pair calcium with magnesium (boosts absorption ~70%, relaxes muscles)
- • Try: NOW Calcium & Magnesium supplement
🏃♀️ Lifestyle Factors
- • Drinking too little water - Everything "dries up"
- • Too little exercise - Slows digestive function
- • Overuse of laxatives/enemas - Creates dependency
- • Pharmaceutical drugs - Side effects
- • Stress - Affects digestive system
Beneficial Changes: Your Action Plan
🏃♀️ Exercise Regularly
🚶♀️ Walking
Try to walk at least 45 minutes a day, six days a week. Walking is gentle, accessible, and stimulates digestive function.
🤸♀️ Rebounder
A rebounder is a wonderful exercise tool plus it helps "loosen things up." The bouncing motion stimulates lymphatic drainage and intestinal movement.
🥗 Improve Your Diet
Basic Dietary Changes
- • Reduce consumption of refined foods
- • Increase fresh fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich whole grains
- • Don't forget the enzymes!
🌾 Flaxseeds
Contains ~28% fiber (soluble and insoluble). Great stool softener when consumed with lots of fluid. May prevent colon cancer.
🌾 Bran
Fiber helps relieve constipation and dry stools by allowing stools to soak up additional moisture and move more easily.
🍌 Bananas
Bananas are high in fiber that can help restore normal bowel action without resorting to laxatives.
💧 Drink Plenty of Water
When you are dehydrated, everything "dries up" causing/aggravating constipation.
🌅 Morning Hydration Routine
Drink 24 to 28 ounces of water early morning, before eating or drinking anything else. According to Chinese medicine, this helps with elimination and detoxification.
"I have been following this routine for many months now and this one habit I intend to keep."
⚠️ Critical: If you eat fiber but don't drink enough water - this will CAUSE constipation.
⏰ Maintain a Daily Routine
Go to the bathroom at the same time every day. Consistency helps train your body's natural rhythms.
🌿 Herbal Elimination Assistance
Herbs can act as bowel toners, stimulating laxatives, bulking agents and lubricants.
🎯 Bowel Toning Herbs
Triphala and Cape Aloe speed bowel transit time. They help waste matter pass through your system more efficiently by improving muscle function.
Bonus: Triphala research shows it helps protect against environmental stress, boosts illness resistance, and promotes infection healing.
⚡ Stimulant Laxatives
Rhubarb encourages the large intestine to empty more frequently.
🛡️ Lubricating Herbs
Slippery Elm and Marshmallow encourage bowel movements by coating the bowel's contents with a film that cuts back on friction. The stool remains soft and excretion is more comfortable.
👨⚕️ A Doctor's Perspective on Colon Cleansers
by Dr. Edward F. Group III
⚠️ Cautions About Common Products
Most herbal cleansers on the market today contain either stimulant laxatives or bulk fiber fillers, if not both. I recommend that stimulant laxatives, herbal or not, be used sparingly since the body easily can become dependent on them.
Bulk fiber, while generally helpful for relieving minor constipation, tends to only push waste through the middle of the colon without actually cleaning it. When taken with inadequate amounts of water, bulk fiber also can cause constipation.
✅ Professional Recommendations
Primary recommendation: Oxygen-based cleanser Oxy-Powder to all patients.
For herbal products: Only try products that are 100% organically certified and carry a documented safety record.
📚 Related Information
Also refer to: Anti Aging Digestion Enzymes Are Essential For Life