Constipation is a common problem for many people but instead of resorting to laxatives, it is important to identify the underlying cause.
Constipation occurs when stool is moving too slowly through the digestive tract usually causing it to become dry and hard. Bowel movements can become infrequent or difficult to pass and there can be a feeling of incomplete evacuation.
Some common symptoms of constipation are:
- Bloating
- Excessive gas and distension
- Painful bowel movements
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
Healthy bowel movements should happen at least once a day, and ideally 2-3 times a day. While occasional bouts of constipation are normal, chronic cases can significantly impact our quality of life.
Some of the possible causes of constipation are stress, dehydration, a low fibre diet and a lack of exercise. However, certain illnesses, medications, insufficient digestive enzymes, Sibo (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) and microbiome dysbiosis can all contribute to constipation.
For most people, increasing exercise and improving diet and hydration is enough to improve bowel motions.
But what if that doesn’t work?
Then it’s time to get help from a qualified practitioner to uncover what else may be going on.
The top 3 things I consider when a client seeks support for constipation are:
- Are they eating enough fibre, drinking enough water, and exercising? If not, increasing these 3 things is the easiest and quickest to remedy.
- What is their gut transit time? A simple gut transit test can determine how quickly the food they eat ends up in the toilet bowl. The ideal is 14-24 hours! A slow transit time can often result in constipation, and it is common to have daily bowel motions yet still be constipated.
- Do they have an overgrowth of opportunistic microbes? There are a group of microbes called Archaea that live in our gut and produce methane gas. Methane slows transit time often resulting in constipation.
At the Microbiome Group we use stool testing to determine what may be contributing to a client’s constipation. We then develop individual treatment protocols for our clients that focus on food, probiotics, prebiotics, and herbal remedies.
REFERENCES:
Bin Waqar et al. (2019). Methane and Constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Entwining Pillars of Emerging Neurogastroenterology. Cureus, 11(5), e4764. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.4764
Chan et al. (2007). Increasing dietary fiber intake in terms of kiwifruit improves constipation in Chinese patients. World journal of gastroenterology, 13(35), 4771–4775. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i35.4771
Gao et al. (2019). Exercise therapy in patients with constipation: a systematic review and meta analysis of randomized controlled trials. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 54(2), 169–177.
DOI: 10.1080/00365521.2019.1568544
Soltanian et al. (2019). Effect of flaxseed or psyllium vs. placebo on management of constipation, weight, glycemia, and lipids: A randomized trial in constipated patients with type 2 diabetes. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 29, 41-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.11.002
Vicky Ellenport BHSc NUT is a Clinical Nutritionist and Microbiome Analyst at The Microbiome Group. You can book an appointment with her here: Vicky Ellenport | The Microbiome Group
