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11 surprising home remedies for constipation relief

Constipation remedy: Sesame seeds Sesame seeds make great home remedies for constipation, according to a study published in the International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology. The oily composition of sesame seeds works to moisturise the intestines, which can help if dry stools are a problem and provide constipation relief. Add the seeds to cereals or salads for crunch, or pulverise them in a coffee grinder and sprinkle on food like a seasoning. Constipation remedy: Molasses One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses before bed should help ease your constipation by morning. The ingredient was studied by the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2019 on paediatric constipation with successful results. Blackstrap molasses is boiled and concentrated three times, so it has significant vitamins and minerals; magnesium, in particular, will help you achieve constipation relief. Constipation remedy: Fibre Fibre acts like a pipe cleaner, scrubbing food and waste particles from your digestive tract and soaking up water. It adds bulk to your stool, giving the muscles of your GI tract something to grab on to, so they can keep food moving along. The Mayo Clinic suggests aiming for 20 to 35 grams of fibre a day to stay regular. Foods particularly high in fibre include bran cereals, beans, lentils, oats, almonds, barley, many vegetables, and fresh and dried fruits. All of these things can be home remedies for constipation. If you’re constipated and taking in additional fibre, be sure to drink more water than usual to keep your stool soft and easy to pass. Constipation remedy: Mint or ginger tea Mint and ginger are both proven home remedies to help alleviate a slew of digestive problems. Peppermint contains menthol, which has an antispasmodic effect that relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract. Ginger is a ‘warming’ herb that causes the inside of the body to generate more heat; herbalists say this can help speed up sluggish digestion. Dr Stephen Sinatra recommends ginger in either capsule or tea form. In tea, the hot water will also stimulate digestion and provide constipation relief. Dandelion tea is also a gentle laxative and detoxifier. Constipation remedy: Healthy fats Olive oil, nuts and avocados all contain healthy fats, which can help lubricate your intestines and ease constipation, according to the experts at Harvard Medical School. A salad with fibre-rich leafy greens and a simple olive oil dressing, a small handful of nuts, or a tablespoon of natural nut butter on fruit or toast are good options. Even if you’re watching your weight, healthy fats are necessary for basic body functions; they are very satiating to keep you satisfied with less. Constipation remedy: Lemon water The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a stimulant to your digestive system and can help flush toxins from your body, providing constipation relief. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a glass of water every morning, or add lemon to tea; you may find that the refreshingly tart water not only acts as a natural remedy to your constipation but also it helps you drink more water each day, which will improve your long-term digestion. And don’t be afraid to warm it up, says the American Cancer Society, sharing that warm or hot fluids can also be a helpful treatment. Constipation remedy: Coffee Coffee can stimulate your colon and speed up your trip to the bathroom. Other hot drinks work as home remedies for constipation too: herbal tea or a cup of hot water with a little lemon juice (a natural laxative) or honey may stimulate your colon as well. Coffee is also a diuretic, however, so make sure to keep drinking water or your constipation could become worse, according to Harvard Medical School experts. Constipation remedy: Raisins High in fibre, raisins also contain tartaric acid, according to Stanford Children’s Health, which has a laxative effect. Cherries and apricots are also rich in fibre and can help kick your constipation. Eat these fruits with a bowl of yoghurt for the added benefits of gut-soothing probiotics. Constipation remedy: Prunes This fibre-rich fruit is a go-to home remedy for getting your digestion back on track. Three prunes have 3 grams of fibre, and contain a phenolic compound that triggers the intestinal contraction that makes you want to go. Another great dried fruit choice is figs, which may not cause as much bloating as prunes. Constipation remedy: Castor oil This home remedy for constipation has been handed down for generations. One of the primary uses for castor oil is as a laxative, according to Cleveland Clinic; take one to two teaspoons on an empty stomach and you should see results in about eight hours. Why? A component in the oil breaks down into a substance that stimulates your large and small intestines. Constipation remedy: Exercise The Mayo Clinic promotes exercise as a way to increase muscle activity in your intestines. Even a daily 15-minute walk can help move food through your bowel more quickly. If you feel sleepy after a heavy meal, try to move around instead of lying down. Jump-starting the digestive process can help you avoid that painfully full feeling that often follows a large meal. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/11-surprising-home-remedies-for-constipation-relief-2?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Body

Does TikTok’s chia-lemon ‘internal shower’ really beat constipation?

<h3 class="legacy">Does TikTok’s chia-lemon ‘internal shower’ really beat constipation? Here’s what science says</h3> <figure><figcaption></figcaption><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clare-collins-7316">Clare Collins</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a></figure> Heard about the chia seed-lemon juice “internal shower” drink? It’s going viral on TikTok and is being hailed as a digestion booster, constipation and bloating buster (particularly after travelling), detox drink and hangover cure. Advocates recommend you mix two tablespoons of chia seeds in a cup of water, add lemon juice, wait till the seeds start to absorb the water and form a gel, drink it on an empty stomach, and wait. <iframe id="tc-infographic-730" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/730/0814a4ed8c2b8e3d7a498fbb676f71593f896f1d/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> Chia seeds are edible seeds from a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35208997/">flowering plant</a> of the mint and sage families. These tiny seeds (1,000 seeds weigh about 1.3 grams), pack a nutritional punch and are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31086922/">rich in dietary fibre, polyunsaturated fat and protein</a>. They also contain B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid) and minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus). Before you rush out to get some chia seeds, be wary. The <a href="https://www.poison.org/articles/internal-shower">National Capital Poison Center</a> in the United States urged caution, following the case of a person needing surgery after the gelled chia seeds became stuck and blocked his oesophagus. <h2>Let’s break down the ‘internal shower’ claims</h2> 1) Digestion booster Chia seeds can’t “boost” digestion. For most people, digestive processes run automatically, just like breathing and blood flow. So you can’t speed up the enzymatic processes that help with food breakdown, digestion and absorption. This claim is likely to be mixed up with constipation, which affects the time in takes for undigested food to travel though your gut and to your large bowel where it gets processed and turned into poo. There are medical conditions, such as <a href="https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.au/">cystic fibrosis</a>, where digestive enzymes can’t mix with food adequately and medicinal enzymes have to be taken orally. But this is very rare. 2) Constipation buster This claim is likely to be true, due to the very high fibre content of chia seeds. Dietary fibre content of chia seeds varies from 23% to 41%, depending on the variety. Of that, 85% is insoluble fibre that adds bulk to stools and helps increase the transit time of bowel motions through your intestines. The other 15% is soluble fibre, meaning that it dissolves in water and remains intact until it gets to the large bowel. There, it is fermented by the gut microbes. This produces water that helps to keep your bowel motions soft. Two tablespoons of chia seeds weigh about 20-25 grams, providing 9-10 grams of fibre, which is a lot compared to adult daily intake targets of <a href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/dietary-fibre">25-30 grams per day</a>. But chia seeds aren’t the only fibre-rich food. So what are the signs you need to have a closer look at your diet? If, over the past few months, you have experienced symptoms including lumpy or hard stools, incomplete emptying of bowels, straining to pass a bowel motion or having fewer than three bowel motions per week, you could be constipated. <hr /> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=764&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=764&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=764&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=960&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=960&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=960&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption>The Conversation, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></figcaption></figure> <hr /> To address this, drink enough water so your urine is the colour of straw. Next, boost you intake of foods high in fibre such as psyllium, wholemeal and wholegrain breads and legumes (chickpeas, lentils, four-bean mix, red kidney beans, baked beans), as well as foods such as prunes, kiwi fruit, leek, onion, beetroot, Brussel sprouts, peaches, watermelon and honeydew melon, and of course chia seeds. These high-fibre foods have all been shown to manage constipation. If your bowel habits don’t improve, or have changed, see your GP. 3) Beating bloat Bloating is the feeling your abdomen is under pressure due to gas retention. Recent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27746233/">research has shown</a> both people with a healthy gut and people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) had similar responses following consumption of a test meal, in terms of gas production and retention of contents in the stomach. However, the researchers found people with IBS reported more symptoms related to the gas production, meaning their guts were more hypersensitive. This suggests people with IBS may find gas production due to a chia “internal shower” uncomfortable or even painful. 4) Hangover cure There is no evidence chia or lemon juice, vitamins or other remedies can cure a hangover. Chia seeds contain thiamin and <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vitamin-b#thiamin-b1">alcohol reduces thiamin absorption</a> from the gut. However, a hangover occurs after you have had too much alcohol and so thiamin from chia seeds arrives too late to be used during alcohol digestion. The best “cure” for a hangover is prevention. <h2>A final word</h2> Chia seeds are high in fibre. You can use them in recipes that taste better than the “internal shower” drink, such as <a href="https://nomoneynotime.com.au/healthy-easy-recipes/easy-chia-pudding-with-banana-almonds">chia banana pudding</a> or a <a href="https://nomoneynotime.com.au/healthy-easy-recipes/emmas-blunana-smoothie">berry chia smoothie</a> and that don’t pose a choking risk. Just drink your water separately. There’s no special benefit in combining the two.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188744/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clare-collins-7316">Clare Collins</a>, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-tiktoks-chia-lemon-internal-shower-really-beat-constipation-heres-what-science-says-188744">original article</a>. Image: Getty

Caring

Heartbreaking reason for two-year-old's constipation

A two-year-old boy in the UK has been diagnosed with stomach cancer after suffering from constipation for over a week. Kodie-Joe was rushed to hospital on February 15th in the UK after suffering from constipation for eight days. Multiple tests were conducted as well as a biopsy which revealed that the little boy had a "high grade" neuroblastoma in his stomach. Cancer had spread quickly into his bone marrow and the two-year-old Kodie-Joe not begins an intensive round of treatment which includes radiotherapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and stem cell therapy. He is also undergoing surgery as well as multiple blood transfusions. His aunt, Shae Robson, has shared the story on a <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.gofundme.com/f/kodiejoes-cancer-journey" target="_blank">GoFundMe page</a> for the family as they struggle to cover the costs of his treatment as well as plan to go on a holiday this year. The diagnosis is a "worst nightmare" scenario for the family as it only gives Kodie-Joe a 50-50 chance of survival. “We’ve been told he has a 50 per cent chance of survival and if he survives then there’s a 50 per cent chance it’ll come back,” Ms Robson wrote. “We are absolutely devastated.” “I’d like to raise as much money as possible, half of the total to help out with the costs of travelling to and from the hospital every day, the costs of staying in hospital for multiple weeks as well as caring for their baby at home to take as much financial stress away from us as a family at this already awful time,” Ms Robson wrote. “The other half of the total raised will go towards paying off their caravan holiday they have booked for September so that they have something to look forward to without the worry of paying it off and to give us all a well-deserved break.” The GoFundMe page has currently hit its goal.

Body

4 things to help treat constipation

Chronic constipation is incredibly common. Around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30364088">one in four people</a> worldwide report symptoms, while in Australia and New Zealand, it’s around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18269746">one in seven</a>. Lots of things can trigger <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/constipation">constipation</a>: being out of your usual routine (think holidays, illness or injury), <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31292358">having a low fibre intake, not drinking enough water</a> and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/common-causes-of-constipation">inactivity</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29382180">Certain medications</a> can also cause constipation including iron supplements, painkillers, diuretics (to help you get rid of sodium and water), and other drugs to treat heart disease, mental health conditions and allergies. Constipation is more common in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16342852">older adults</a> and in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10805262">women</a>, due to hormonal changes that slow bowel motility – the time it takes for your body to digest food and expel the waste products (stools or bowel motions). <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25803402">Pregnant</a> women are particularly prone to constipation. How do you know you’re constipated? Symptoms include: <ol> <li><a href="https://www.continence.org.au/pages/bristol-stool-chart.html">lumpy or hard stools</a></li> <li>feeling that your bowels haven’t emptied completely or your <a href="https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-anus#1">anus</a> is blocked</li> <li>straining to pass a bowel motion</li> <li>manipulating your body position to try and pass a bowel motion</li> <li>having fewer than three bowel motions per week.</li> </ol> If over a three-month period you answer yes to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30364088">two or more of these symptoms</a> most weeks, then you have “constipation”. The good news is it can be treated and then prevented. If your bowels are so packed you can’t pass any bowel motions at all, see your GP. You may need treatment with specific laxatives to clear your bowels before you can start on a prevention plan. Here are four things that research shows improve bowel function, which refers to the time it takes for food to move through your digestive system and be expelled as a bowel motion (called gut transit time), the frequency and volume of bowel motions, and stool consistency. 1. High-fibre foods Dietary ﬁbres are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28676135">complex carbohydrates that aren’t digested or absorbed</a> in the gut. Different types of dietary fibres improve bowel function through the following processes: <ul> <li> the fermentation of fibre in the colon produces water and other molecules. These make stools <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27170558">softer and easier to pass</a> </li> <li> absorption of water into stools stimulates the gut to contract and makes bowel motions softer </li> <li> a higher fibre intake creates bigger stools, which pass more quickly, resulting in more regular bowel motions. </li> </ul> A good source of fibre is psyllium. It forms a viscous gel, which gets fermented in the colon, leading to softer bowel motions. Psyllium is the main ingredient in Metamucil, which is commonly used to treat constipation. A review <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31764399">comparing the effect of psyllium to wheat bran</a> in people with chronic constipation found psyllium was 3.4 times more effective at increasing the amount of stool passed. This is important because having a bigger bowel motion waiting in the colon to be passed sends signals to your gut that it’s time to expel the stool – and it helps the gut contract to do just that. The review found <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31764399">both psyllium and coarse wheat bran had a stool-softening effect</a>, but finely ground wheat bran had a stool-hardening effect. Other foods rich in fermentable carbohydrates include dark rye bread and <a href="https://daa.asn.au/smart-eating-for-you/smart-eating-fast-facts/food-and-food-products/legumes-what-are-they-and-how-can-i-use-them/">legumes</a> (chickpeas, lentils, four-bean mix, red kidney beans, baked beans); while <a href="https://nomoneynotime.com.au/hacks-myths-faqs/how-much-fibre-should-i-be-eating">wholemeal and wholegrain breads</a> and cereals are high in different types of dietary fibres. 2. Kiwi fruit <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30706488">Kiwi fruit fibre</a> absorbs about three times its weight in water. This means it helps make stools softer and boosts volume by increasing the amount of water retained in bowel motions. This stimulates the gut to contract and moves the bowel motions along the gut to the anus. In a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12074185">study of 38 healthy older adults</a>, researchers found adding two to three kiwi fruit per day to their diets for three weeks resulted in participants passing bowel motions more often. It also increased the size of their stools and made them softer and easier to pass. Kiwi fruit are also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30706488">rich in the complex carbohydrate inulin</a> a type of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructan">fructan</a>. Fructans are a prebiotic fibre, meaning they encourage growth of healthy bacteria in the colon. But fructans can also <a href="https://www.monashfodmap.com/ibs-central/i-have-ibs/">aggravate symptoms in some people with irritable bowel syndrome</a> (IBS). If you have IBS and constipation, check in with your GP before upping your fructan intake. If you don’t like kiwi fruit, other <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17625872">vegetables and fruit high in fructans</a> include spring onion, artichoke, shallots, leek, onion (brown, white and Spanish), beetroot, Brussels sprouts, white peaches, watermelon, honeydew melon and nectarines. 3. Prunes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prune">Prunes</a> are dried plums. They contain a large amount of sorbitol, a complex carbohydrate that passes undigested into the colon where bacteria ferment it. This produces gas and water, which triggers an increase in bowel movements. Eating prunes is even more effective than psyllium in improving stool frequency and consistency. One study of adults with constipation compared <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25109788">eating 100 grams (about ten) prunes</a> a day for three weeks to those who ate psyllium. The prune group passed an average of 3.5 separate bowel motions per week compared to 2.8 in the psyllium group. The prune group’s stools were also softer. They rated, on average, 3.2 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_stool_scale">Bristol stool chart</a> compared to 2.8 for the psyllium group, meaning their bowel motions were more toward smooth to cracked sausage-shaped motions rather than lumpy ones. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141158/original/image-20161011-3909-p1j1kp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> The Conversation, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-ND</a> If you don’t like prunes, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19765364">other foods that contain sorbitol</a> include apples, pears, cherries, apricots, plums and “sugar-free” chewing gum and “sugar-free” lollies. 4. Water Not drinking enough water is the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27933718">strongest predictor of constipation</a>. When your body is a bit dehydrated, there’s less water for the fibre in your colon to absorb, meaning your bowel motions also become dehydrated and harder to pass. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27933718">Aim for</a> around 1.5 to two litres of fluid per day, which can include liquids such as tea, coffee, soup, juice, and even jelly and the liquid from stewed fruit. Putting it all together Start by increasing the amount of water or other liquids you drink. You should be drinking enough that your urine is the colour of straw. Next, add in psyllium. Start with a tablespoon once a day with breakfast cereal. Psyllium forms a gel as soon as it comes into contact with liquids so to make psyllium more palatable, mix it with a small amount of stewed fruit or yoghurt and eat it straight away. If needed, increase psyllium to twice a day. At least once a day, have some prunes (either dried or canned) or kiwi fruit and a variety of other foods high in fibre, fructans, sorbitol and fermentable carbohydrate. If your bowel habits don’t improve, see your GP.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123364/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clare-collins-7316">Clare Collins</a>, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/had-constipation-here-are-4-things-to-help-treat-it-123364">original article</a>.

Body

Health check: What causes constipation?

Most people have experienced being blocked up from time to time, whether it’s while travelling, after taking painkillers, or when you’ve let your diet go. But some people will experience constipation more often, and for longer periods. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17464377">Chronic constipation</a> is generally defined as a problem that has persisted for six months or more. It can mean you have hard or lumpy stools that you’re straining to pass, or are passing fewer than three stools per week – or both. Constipation is sometimes related to the rate at which food moves through the colon in order to be expelled as poo. This process is known as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11894-015-0471-z#CR20">colonic transit</a>. Some people have normal colonic transit, but become constipated because of other factors, such as harder stools. This is called functional constipation. Others have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3170709/">conditions of the rectum</a>, such as narrowing or tearing or an inability to relax the anal sphincter, that make it difficult to evacuate the waste. What is the ideal poo form? Poo should ideally be in a sausage form with cracks, or a smooth sausage form. Using the Bristol stool chart, this is type three or four. But if this doesn’t describe your usual poo, don’t worry: a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1379343/">good proportion of people</a> don’t pass these stool types regularly and are perfectly healthy. In terms of how easy it should be to pass, the goal is to prevent undue straining. Passing stools in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-way-to-go-to-the-toilet-squatting-or-sitting-63991">squatting position</a> or with an elevated foot rest may make it easier. At the extreme end of the spectrum, some people with rectal evacuation disorders find it so difficult to empty their bowels, they often need to resort to digital manual evacuation. This <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/429586/lmn-bowel-management.pdf">involves</a> using a gloved, lubricated finger to remove the stool. So what are the key factors that affect the consistency of our stools? Water Our stools are made up of around <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-poo-is-mostly-alive-heres-whats-in-it-102848">75% water</a>. Once the water content <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9558028">falls below 75%</a>, any slight decrease in water content can lead to quite a large increase in the thickness of that stool. And the thicker the stool, the more difficult it will be to pass. An experiment in pigs found a decrease in the water content of stools by just 20% resulted in a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9558028">240-fold increased thickness</a> of that stool. The amount of water in our stool, however, is regulated by the gut. An average person consumes around one to two litres of fluid a day. But this represents <a href="http://pathwaymedicine.org/gi-water-and-electrolyte-absorption">a small fraction</a> of the daily volume of fluid handled by the gut. Most fluid is reabsorbed by the small intestine and colon, resulting in an average stool fluid volume of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/1601907">around 100mls</a>. It’s important to drink more water when you’re <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15654804">dehydrated</a> – and this will reduce constipation. But drinking additional water when you’re already well hydrated <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9916661">doesn’t improve</a> the consistency of your stools. Be mindful of how frequently we can become mildly dehydrated. When travelling, for example, you might drink more coffee and alcohol than usual, which can lead to dehydration and constipation. Fibre Fibre can hold onto water and is therefore able to soften stools that are too hard. A high-fibre diet leads to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6269944">quicker colon transit time</a> – the time it takes to digest food and poo out the waste – while a poor-fibre diet is associated with constipation. A high-fibre diet is helpful for patients with normal colonic transit. But people with slow transit constipation generally find their symptoms <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8995945">aren’t improved</a> with dietary fibre. Excessive fibre consumption doesn’t change colonic transit and can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7912305">even worsen symptoms</a>. But for most of us, there’s certainly room to improve our daily fibre intake. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986479/">recent Australian population survey</a> found more than one in two children and more than seven in 10 adults didn’t consume enough fibre. Exercise People who don’t get enough physical activity are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23977327">more likely</a> to have problems with constipation. On the flipside, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30843436">one review</a> found that exercise, and particularly aerobic exercise, was helpful for constipation. Although the authors acknowledge more research needs to be done in this area. But interestingly, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30642148">a study</a> evaluating Youtube exercise videos marketed as improving bowel problems found they were not all that good at improving constipation. Ageing, pregnancy and periods Constipation is <a href="https://www.aafp.org/afp/2015/0915/p500.html">far more common</a> in older people, often <a href="https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12876-015-0366-3">due to</a> low-fibre diets, dehydration, lack of adequate physical activity, major medical conditions and the use of medications. Constipation occurs <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206560/">more often</a> in women than in men. Women often report constipation just before and during their periods, which <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11227952">may be due</a> to the effects of the hormone progesterone. Young women in particular are more likely to experience <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1433176/">slow transit constipation</a>, where there’s a delay in digested food passing through the body and being expelled. Symptoms often present around puberty but can develop at any age. People with this condition often have very infrequent bowel motions and rarely feel the urge to poo, even if weeks have gone by without a bowel motion. And constipation is a common problem during pregnancy. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8047482">British study</a> of more than 1,500 women found 39% of pregnant women reported constipation at 14 weeks. This is due, in part, to a surge in progesterone, which slows the body’s ability to digest food and expel the waste. During pregnancy, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418980/">water absorption from the gut increases</a>, which can make stools drier. In late pregnancy, an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17889809">enlarging uterus</a> can also slow the forward movement of poo. Written by Vincent Ho. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-what-causes-constipation-114290">The Conversation</a>.

Body

Why it's harder to poo on holidays

There are some things that we are all comfortable talking about, including the weather and house prices. But then there are other topics that can feel off limits, such as, “Why do I get constipated when I go on holidays?” But fear not, because GP Dr Ginni Mansberg is happy to answer any of these tricky questions. Speaking to <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/2018/01/18/15/39/why-do-i-get-constipated-on-holidays">9Honey</a>’s Shelly Horton, Dr Mansberg explained that there are four main reasons that we tend to get backed up on holidays. <ol> <li>“We all get really dehydrated when we’re travelling,” Dr Mansberg begins. “Particularly on a long-haul flight ... because, let’s face it, plane toilets are revolting. Who wants to go to one? So, you tend not to drink too much, and then you get constipated.” Be sure to keep your water intake up, and take it easy on alcohol as it actually dehydrates you.</li> <li>“Your plane food sucks. Basically, it’s revolting. You eat all the crappy deserts that you would never ever have at any other time. You could actually take some high fibre foods with you. Things like dried fruit, nuts, a carrot or mandarin,” advises Dr Mansberg.</li> <li>“You’re sitting like a couch potato. You’re stuck in that little chair for so long. If you’re not moving, your bowels are not moving either,” she explains. Take regular strolls around the plane, and do a few gentle exercises or yoga poses to keep your body moving.</li> <li>“For the vast majority of us, we have a psychological aversion to toilets, particularly on planes but also elsewhere. Once you stop pooping, you kind of get on a roll. All of us have got to get over our toilet phobia,” Dr Mansberg adds.</li> </ol> However, if you do all the right things but you know you still might get constipated, Dr Mansberg recommends you come armed with a stool softener to use rather than a laxative. Laxatives, she says, are “sort of chemical irritants for the bowel, and they tend to get you into a vicious cycle”. A stool softener, on the other hand, is gentler on your digestive system. Have you got any plane food horror stories? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

Travel Tips

6 foods to eat if you are constipated

If you’ve experienced the discomfort of constipation, you’ll know how important it is to eat the right foods to keep things moving. The modern diet has long been attributed to this common digestive issue. Overeating red meat, fried foods, sweets and a general lack of fibre has been the main cause of many people’s blocked system. If you are already in the depths of constipation, here are the best meals and snacks that can help provide relief. 1. Start the day with porridge A simple bowl of porridge with some berries gives you two hits of fibre (plus antioxidants from the berries) that are going to act like an intestinal broom to sweep things out. 2. A smoothie for breakfast or lunch Make yourself a fruit smoothie with overripe banana, cucumber, baby spinach, and a teaspoon of flax seeds. Blend with some coconut water or almond milk until smooth. 3. Water and caffeine Water is an essential element of the waste system in our bodies. Without enough water, it simply won’t be able to flush out the waste. Try adding sliced lemon or lime to entice the taste buds to drink more. Caffeine from coffee or tea can help stimulate the bowel, causing a laxative effect that can provide some relief. 4. Bulk up meals with legumes Whether you’re making soup, salad, stir fry, casserole, curry or Bolognese – add some legumes for fibre and protein. Think chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans or lentils. Enjoy hummus (chickpea dip) on your sandwiches or as a snack with carrot sticks (more fibre!). 5. Snack on apples and pears with nut butter Instead of snacking on processed food like crackers or chips, go natural instead. Slices of fruit with 100% nut butter (think almond or peanut butter) is a sweet and satisfying snack that gives you the one-two punch of fibre and protein. Keep the skin on your apple for extra fibre benefits. 6. Make a trail mix If you’re heading out and about, make your own tubs of trail mix to take with you. A mixture of air popped popcorn, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, dried apricots and raisins is a healthy choice that is absolutely packed with fibre and protein. How do you find relief from constipation? We would love to hear your tips in the comments.

Body

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