Facts About Constipation

A diet that is low in fruit, vegetables and whole grains, coupled with a lack of physical activity, has made constipation a common problem. Constipation can have serious long-term implications; regular bowel movements indicate a healthy bowel and reduce the risk of large-bowel disease, particularly cancerdefine of the colondefine.

Although regular bowel movements are essential to health, many people wrongly assume that a daily bowel action is necessary and that anything less is constipation. In fact, perfectly normal bowel may empty anything from three times a day to once every three days.

There are two types of constipation; Atonic constipation is due to lack of muscle tone. It occurs when the diet is low in fluid and fiber, or as the result of insufficient physical exercise.

Spastic constipation is characterized by irregular bowel movements. It may be due to nervous disorders, excessive smoking, irritating foods or obstruction of the large bowel.

A diet high in refined foods and low in complex carbohydrates (such as wholemeal bread and pasta), fruit and vegetables will be deficient in fiber.

Fiber and some forms of starch are fermented in the large bowel and provide the bulk that helps to stimulate the muscles of the colondefine so that digested food can be pushed through the gut. Compounds in certain foods such as coffee, rhubarb and prunes also have the same effect.

If a low-fiber diet is combined with a low fluid intake (less than 1.7 liters a day) the dense mass of digested food in the colon becomes further dehydrated, making it dry and hard and therefore more difficult to move through the system. This causes the rise in pressure in the bowel and discomfort. The longer the digested food residue remains in the bowel, the more water is reabsorbed from it, the harder it gets and the more difficult it becomes to pass.

Regular physical activity helps to stimulate bowel movements, whereas, sitting still for long periods can cause constipation. Constipation may also be caused by bad toilet habits, such as not defecating when the need arises.

Excessive long term use of laxatives can also interfere with the proper function of the colon; they should be used as infrequently as possible.