Today we have a treat – a guest article from New York Times Best Selling author, Brenda Watson.
If you’re having trouble with constipation, this common form of digestive distress could be a major contributor to your acne. Brenda is going to share with us her expert advice on how to get things moving naturally.
Constipation is much more common in Western cultures than elsewhere due to our sedentary lifestyles and consumption of processed foods. Fiber (indigestible complex plant carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) is removed from most processed foods because it decreases shelf life. A high intake of dietary fiber:
- Increases transit time of stools
- Decreases absorption of toxins from stools
- Bulks and softens stools, increasing frequency and quantity of bowel movements
Indigenous cultures that have a high intake of dietary fiber invariably enjoy superior intestinal health and are virtually free of the diseases of modern civilization.
The Signs and Symptoms
With constipation, a wide variety of symptoms may be experienced. These could include:
- Abdominal discomfort/fullness
- Rectal discomfort
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Headache
- Lower back pain
- General feeling of malaise
When bowel transit time is slow, waste is not properly eliminated from the body. It will consequently decay or ferment, producing poisonous chemicals. As toxins are reabsorbed into the body, the risk of developing colon diseases and other health problems increases.
Toxins created in the constipated bowel damage digestive enzymes in the intestinal wall and cause digestive problems and nutrient deficiencies. The walls of the colon can weaken and herniate, giving rise to diverticulosis.
Besides diverticulosis, the excessive bowel transit time associated with constipation can contribute to such bowel disorders as irritable bowel syndrome and colitis. It also creates conditions favorable to the overgrowth of bad or putrefactive bacteria that can have health-damaging effects on the body.
Studies suggest that constipation may indirectly cause estrogen to be reabsorbed. With slow transit times, a low fiber diet and low concentrations of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, there will be resorption of estrogen. Elevated estrogen can give rise to many female problems, including breast, ovarian and uterine cancer.
The Standard Medical Treatment
Because lack of dietary fiber in the diet is thought to be the most common cause of constipation, many doctors recommend the use of fiber supplements, as well as the addition of more high-fiber foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) to the diet. Bran, prunes, figs and apricots are particularly high in fiber. If you follow this protocol, add bran to your diet slowly, because adding bran to a diet too rapidly can cause gas and bloating.
Additional fiber may also be obtained through the use of “bulk” laxatives. However, it is important to note that laxative abuse is actually a cause of constipation. Habitual use interferes with the normal defecation reflex. Also, it can lead to the loss of potassium and calcium, causing muscle cramps, insomnia, anxiety, and fatigue. Other adverse effects can include nausea, malabsorption and diarrhea.
In addition to recommending the addition of more dietary fiber (in the form of food or dietary supplement) and possibly a form of laxative, many doctors will recommend lifestyle changes to help combat constipation. these may include increased water intake, exercise, and establishment of regular bowel habits.
This later suggestion involves heeding the defecation urge, taking time out each day (preferably after meals) to allow nature to take her course. If medications are suspected to be the cause of the constipation, these may be discontinued or switched by your doctor. If a disease process such as hypothyroidism, diverticulitis, malignant tumor, polyps or inflammatory bowel condition is identified, appropriate treatment of that condition will be initiated.
Drugs and surgery are the major tools of the medical doctor, so some form of these will likely be employed regardless of the cause of the constipation when and if it is established. If your constipation problem is due to parasites, candidiasis or food sensitivities, the traditional medical doctor is unlikely to discover this, as these conditions generally lie outside of their area of interest.
An Optional Approach
If you suffer from persistent constipation, and your standard medical doctor has ruled out other causes, you may wish to consult a progressive practitioner who might order testing to rule out the following:
- Food allergies – ELISA test
- Parasites, Candida, or dysbiosis test – Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis
- Thyroid test – self-monitoring or blood test
Please note: The following is suggested in cases of extreme constipation when a person has not had a bowel elimination for 3 to 7 days or more: Do not take any fiber! Try one of the following to encourage elimination before starting a constipation program:
- Try a colon cleanse product. Look for one containing herbs, like cape aloe or rhubarb (that will gently stimulate peristalsis), as well as magnesium oxide to bring water to the bowel. Start with one capsule before bed, and increase by one capsule each night until bowel elimination occurs. Drink plenty of water during the day.
- Do a vitamin “C” flush”.
Colon hydrotherapy can be used to help clean out the colon before starting a digestive care program.
Brenda Watson, C.N.C., is a New York Times bestselling author, PBS health educator and digestive care expert, and is considered one of the foremost authorities today on natural digestive health and the gut connection to total-body health.
In the beginning she lists the benefits of a high intake of dietary fiber, including: “decreased bowel transit time.” However wouldn’t that be a con, not a pro? We want to have a fast transit time I thought. Please explain.
Hmm good eye Kaitlyn – I didn’t catch that when I read it over. In the context of this article, you’re right. It doesn’t seem to make sense. In other contexts it would – I believe fiber can either increase bowl transit time if that is what is needed (in the case of constipation) or it can decrease it if that is needed (as in the case of diarrhea or loose stools). So technically the statement isn’t wrong, but it’s not exactly right for the article!
So I don’t know – . Maybe that was just a typo.. I’m going to change it
I have no clue about bowel transit time but if you google “decreased bowel transit time fiber” you actually get lots of results that, in fact, fiber does decrease bowel transit time. Hm. (Didn’t read any further though, haha)
My understanding is that soluble fiber slows it down and insoluble speeds it up.
In many East Euro languages, the word for “diarrhea” means and is the same word for “cleansing.” Diarrhea=cleansing.
So I wonder if the opposite is true. You could say that constipation is a “clogging up” or “dirtying.”
I reccomened you read Konstantin Monastyrsky’s book “Fiber Menace” and his site: http://www.gutsense.org/gutsense/about_gs.html
There’s a lot of important information there, and it really opened my eyes about the fiber myth.
I have actually read his website before – admittedly I am a bit torn on what to think about fiber
I feel like fiber is just as controversial a topic as carbs. Some traditional cultures had a lot and some had none, yet both cultures were in perfect health.
Conventional health seems to promote the idea, “the more fiber, the better.” And the author of fiber menace obviously feels the opposite. I dont completely agree with that idea though, as the fermentation of fiber in the body creates vitamin k2.
Anyway, i dont think it is so black and white.
I share the same opinion as Natasha Campbell-McBride. Fiber is fine and all, but difficult to digest and if you have GI issues, you should NOT be eating fiber in any significant amount.
For a person in great health, fiber will help. For a person with health issues, fiber might just make things worse.
I’ve never been constipated in the sense of feeling some sort of inhibition or discomfort, but I have eaten low/high calorie for several days in a row, and it seems to be directly related to BM frequency/size. This is in the context of a whole foods high fat diet. I have never found fiber to be any sort of digestice miracle, and large amounts just make for bloating, etc. Recently I forcefed fat from cream, yolks, butter for a few days to the point of mild queasiness. My following BMs were well-formed and comfortable. When I then experimented with high amounts of starch/sugar (bananas and sweet potatoes), I would say “quality” decreased. I should note that I’m not some poop experimentalist. That was just a side observation with the main intention of monitoring workouts and body temperature in response to different foods.
Lol – it’s okay if you’re a poop experimentalist John. You can admit it here 🙂
haha okay, but seriously – fiber is a mystery. For some people it really helps, and others it makes no difference. You’re right about the fat though – as an alternative to fiber, I have read that it is really fat that makes things move along easily as it lubricates everything. I eat a moderately high fat diet (I don’t know the exact proportions, but I don’t shy away from it), and I believe it really helps me to be regular.
Protein without fat is more constipating. I don’t know about starches and sugars
Ha, I like to think of fat as “lubrication.” Many fats are topically anti-inflammatory as well, so I would safely generalize that to the digestive system.
One thing to note would be that as far as I know, traditional cultures remove as much fiber as possible, or, in better words, make food as easily-digestible as possible. I think even vegetables [cooked thoroughly] are primarily used for there starch content, which is in cases where other food sources are low. Some plants are chewed to extract the starch and then spit out when only fiber is left.
Many people think of gut bacteria subsisting only on certain carbohydrates, but better growth is acheived otherwise, at least for bifidobacterium.
Hi Tracy, I came across this video about a month ago & it makes a lot of sense, I don’t necessarily think fiber is the answer to all of our questions when it comes to constipation, it’s all about the posture! Anyway I’m not trying to endorse this product, but the video is relevant. Please let me know what you think!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYcv6odWfTM
Actually you are right – squatting makes a significant difference. I do this and it’s awesome, except I just use a 2 dollar foot stool instead of one of these fancy squatty potties, lol. I guess those are good if you care about bathroom aesthetics haha
Hey Tracy,
What else would you recommend for fiber? I eat a lot and i have issues going to the bathroom for about 1 year. I go about every other day or every 2 days and when i do, (WARNING:TMI) i’m constipated and the stool is small and pebble like. Even after i go, it’s barely anything. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies, i drink about 6 big cups of water a day with lemon. I don’t take probiotics because i am scared of how i would react to them. I am pretty sure it’s not doing my acne good. So, i don’t think diet as in increasing the intake of veggies/fruit would help. I’m pretty freaked out because i read that the toxins are just swimming around my body and pebble stool means that when i do go, the stool is months old?? I am freaked out, please help!
Hi Jordyn,
Well, it could be a few things: perhaps a food sensitivity that you have developed… or a big one that people overlook is stress. Stress can definitely cause constipation – have you been more stressed out in the last year than before? Something else to look into is maybe a low metabolism… check out Matt Stone’s stuff at 180degreehealth.com, particularly his diet recovery 2 book for more info about metabolism and how it can impact your health and bowel movements
The only cure for cronic constipation was the Cape Aloe in the Lady Soma Detox. Im a guy, and my wife was using it to lose weight. Its safe for men also (no female specific ingrdients in it), but its the only that worked to cure my constipation. It never makes you feel sick or cramps. Its also a source of fiber that actually does make you go. IMAGINE THAT?
Also just Cape Aloe does not and did not work for me. Its something with the other ingrdients in the Lady Soma Detox, that actually DETOXED me and my constipation.