What can you eat to treat constipation? What foods are good for treating constipation? What are the causes of constipation? Our expert is here to solve all your health questions. This special topic focuses on answering what you can eat to treat constipation, analyzes the causes of constipation, and provides scientific guidance for daily health care, hoping that everyone can live an easier life!
What can you eat to treat constipation?
1. Increase your intake of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber can indeed relieve constipation, but it can also cause bloating and abdominal pain. For people with poor gastrointestinal function, consuming too much can irritate the digestive tract. Not all foods rich in dietary fiber have a laxative effect; for example, yam is warm in nature, and eating too much can actually worsen constipation.
2. Drinking tea can relieve constipation. Many people believe that tea can reduce internal heat and promote bowel movements. However, people with constipation should not drink too much. Because tea has an astringent effect, drinking too much can worsen constipation. However, people with constipation must drink plenty of water. The average person should drink 1,200 ml of water per day, but those with constipation should drink up to 2,000 ml. Drinking this amount in 8 to 10 sips can keep the intestines moist and help relieve constipation.
What foods are good for treating constipation?
1. Eating more bananas can relieve constipation. Most people think bananas are good for bowel regularity, but in fact, only ripe bananas have this function. Eating unripe bananas not only fails to relieve constipation but can actually make it worse. This is because unripe bananas contain a lot of tannic acid, which has an astringent effect on the digestive tract and suppresses gastrointestinal motility. Generally speaking, it's best to eat bananas when they are stored in a ventilated place until the skin has black spots, but the inside is still firm.
2. Eating more radishes can relieve constipation: This is a common misconception in constipation diets. Constipation is divided into many types, such as "heat constipation" caused by internal heat and "deficiency constipation" caused by spleen and kidney deficiency, or fluid deficiency. In middle-aged and elderly people, deficiency constipation accounts for a large proportion. Simply put, this is insufficient gastrointestinal motility. White radish has the effect of promoting digestion and relieving gas, so it is useful for constipation caused by bloating. However, for the elderly, who are already deficient in "qi," expelling more "qi" will only worsen their constipation.
What are the causes of constipation?
(1) Organic lesions of the intestinal tract: Narrowing or obstruction of the intestinal lumen caused by tumors, inflammation, or other reasons.
(2) Rectal and anal diseases: Rectal prolapse, hemorrhoids, rectocele, hypertrophy of the puborectalis muscle, separation of the puborectalis muscle, pelvic floor diseases, etc.
(3) Endocrine or metabolic diseases: Diabetes, hypothyroidism, parathyroid diseases, etc.
(4) Systemic diseases: Scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.
(5) Nervous system diseases: Central nervous system disorders, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and peripheral neuropathy, etc.
(6) Intestinal smooth muscle or neurogenic lesions.
(7) Colonic neuromuscular diseases: Pseudo-obstruction, congenital megacolon, megarectum, etc.
(8) Psychosomatic disorders.
(9) Drug-related factors: Iron supplements, opioids, antidepressants, anti-Parkinson's drugs, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, and antihistamines, etc.
What can you eat to treat constipation? Expert opinions
1. Avoid eating too little or consuming foods that are too refined, with little residue, which reduces stimulation to colonic motility.
2. Avoid interference with bowel habits: Constipation is easily triggered when bowel movements are delayed due to psychological factors, changes in daily routine, excessive fatigue from long-distance travel, etc.
3. Avoid the abuse of laxatives: Overuse of laxatives can reduce the sensitivity of the intestines, leading to dependence on certain laxatives and causing constipation.
4. Reasonably arrange your life and work, balancing work and rest. Appropriate physical and recreational activities, especially abdominal muscle exercises, are beneficial for improving gastrointestinal function and are particularly important for sedentary people and mental workers who are highly concentrated.
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