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New guidelines on what to eat and drink if you have chronic (long-term) constipation have been making the news lately.
Most media coverage of British Dietetic AssociationThe guidelines focus on the recommendation to eat kiwifruit every day.
Other recommendations, meanwhile, have not received the same attention. One, in particular, marks a change in the management of chronic constipation. Guidelines do not recommend high fiber Diet,
Here’s what guidelines help (and don’t help) to relieve chronic constipation.
What was seen in the guidelines?
Researchers examined 75 clinical trials to make food, drink, and supplement recommendations for chronic constipation in adults.
The quality of clinical trials varied and so they had to reach consensus on the quality of trial data.
Given that constipation means different things to different people, they used a very broad definition for constipation. It also includes what patients think about constipation as well as the definitions of constipation used in clinical trials. Chronic constipation typically occurs when a person passes few hard stools over a period of at least three months.
The researchers offered 59 recommendations. However, researchers said most of the recommendations were based on poor quality evidence.
Why kiwifruit? How many in a day?
Researchers recommended eating two to three kiwi fruits daily for at least four weeks to improve constipation. Whether it’s green kiwifruit or golden kiwifruit, the evidence clearly shows that they can help. But how? There are many reasons for this.
The fiber in kiwifruit swells greatly when mixed with water, even more so than the fiber in apples. This swelling helps to make the stools heavier, making their passage through the intestine easier.
complete meal FruitIncluding the peel provides more fiber than eating just the flesh but it is perfectly fine to eat kiwifruit without the peel.
Green kiwifruit contains an enzyme called actinidin that helps the body digest proteins in the stomach and small intestine. It may help constipation by softening food proteins and making them easier to pass through the intestine.
Kiwifruit contains a type of crystals called rapheids. They are thought to increase mucus production in the intestine, lubricating it and helping to move stools out.
Eating kiwifruit may also reduce the species of methane-producing bacteria that are linked to constipation.
Mineral Water and Magnesium
Researchers told about the benefits of drinking mineral water. He suggested drinking 0.5–1.5 liters (about two to six cups) of mineral water daily for two to six weeks.
Why? Mineral waters often contain magnesium, which acts as a laxative. Indeed, magnesium oxide is often used as a dietary supplement for chronic constipation.
The guidelines confirm that magnesium oxide can help soften stools and increase stool frequency. Researchers recommended taking 0.5-1.5ga daily for at least four weeks.
But it may not be suitable for everyone. For example, people with kidney disease need to be careful. Magnesium supplements may also interact with other medications.
Rye bread
The researchers cited studies showing that rye bread provided greater relief from constipation than white bread or common laxatives.
He recommended six to eight slices of rye bread daily for at least three weeks.
But that’s not realistic for many people. And since rye contains gluten, it may not be suitable for people with celiac disease.
High-fiber diets may not be needed after all
There was one major surprise in the guidelines.
The researchers said there was a lack of strong evidence for a general high-fiber diet for constipation, when people eat at least 25 grams of fiber a day.
Here’s the logic. The researchers could only find one randomized controlled trial – the gold standard for testing interventions, such as dietary changes – where a high-fiber diet (25-30 g/day) was compared with a low-fiber diet (15-20 g/day).
This trial showed that there is no benefit of a high fiber diet for improving constipation. People on low-fiber diets have less flatulence and less bloating than people on high-fiber diets.
About the author
Vincent Ho is Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist at Western Sydney University.
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
This does not mean that fiber does not help with constipation. There is good evidence for including more fiber in your diet for relief of chronic constipation.
But instead of focusing on a high-fiber diet for constipation, guidelines recommend taking at least 10 grams of a fiber supplement, such as psyllium, per day.
High fiber diets are usually an important part of national dietary guidelines. For example, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that certain adults consume at least 28 grams of dietary fiber per day. Eating a high fiber diet definitely has health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
But we now know that this is not necessary to get relief from chronic constipation.
What can we take away from the guidelines?
These guidelines provide more personalized, evidence-based dietary advice tailored to the patient’s characteristics than previous guidelines.
Kiwifruit is considered a safe and effective treatment for chronic constipation. Mineral water, magnesium supplements, and rye bread may also help.
But it may be advisable to discuss magnesium supplements with a health professional, especially if you are concerned about kidney disease or you take other medications.