What Causes Constipation? (Plus, How to Resolve It!)
Constipation is becoming an increasingly prevalent condition in today’s modern world. In fact, constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint in the U.S., resulting in 2.5 million doctor visits annually. What exactly is constipation, what causes it, and most importantly, how can it be resolved? These are the questions we’ll be answering in this article. Let’s get started.
What is Constipation?
If the digestive system is working properly, a person should pass a well-formed stool one to two times a day. If stools are difficult or painful to pass, or bowel movements are occurring less than three times a week, this is called constipation. While most people experience constipation once in a while, 16 percent of Americans experience chronic constipation, which can interfere with their daily life, impact their health, and cause a number of symptoms, including bloating, loss of appetite, and nausea.
What Causes Constipation?
Constipation can affect anyone at any age, but there are certain factors that make someone more likely to suffer from the condition. Here are five common causes of constipation.
1. Not Eating Enough Fiber
Diet is the main cause of constipation, or more specifically, not eating enough fiber. To get things moving, it’s crucial to ensure you’re eating plenty of fiber which comes from plant foods, each day. Center your diet around plant-based foods, including fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Simultaneously, eliminate or drastically reduce your intake of foods that cause constipation, including processed foods, processed sugars, gluten, and dairy.
2. Not Drinking Enough Water
When there is too little water available in the body, stool becomes dry, hard, and difficult to move through the colon. Aim to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day.
3. Having Waste Buildup in the Colon
Not having regular bowel movements is like not taking out the trash from your kitchen when it’s full. When you’re chronically constipated, harmful bacteria flourish, waste irritates your gut lining, and worst of all, your body eventually begins to reabsorb toxins that were supposed to be eliminated via stool. This creates inflammation in the gut, which leads to even more constipation.
4. Experiencing Chronic Stress
During times of stress, digestive processes are reduced to prioritize resources for dealing with the immediate threat. Long-term stress can, therefore, impact your digestive function in a way that leads to or worsens constipation.
5. Overusing Antibiotics
While antibiotics are certainly necessary in many cases, overusing antibiotics can reduce the population of good bacteria in the gut. When this occurs, constipation is more likely to occur.
A Natural Remedy For Constipation
Not only will removing waste buildup improve your health, but you may drop a few pounds, too! Try CLNZ for yourself today to get your digestion and health back on track.
References:
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/constipation#:~:text=About%204%20million%20people%20in,2.5%20million%20doctor%20visits%20annually.
- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation/definition-facts
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3544045/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14681719/
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