Constipation

A Closer Look:
Constipation is one of the most common chronic health complaints in the United States, affecting at least 20 percent of the population, and resulting in nearly $1 billion being spent each year on laxatives. This widespread condition is characterized by sluggish elimination of the bowels, making the passage of stools difficult and/or infrequent. Overall, constipation is a direct result of modern-day diet and lifestyle habits, since it is virtually unknown in so-called undeveloped countries whose peoples typically eat foods that are whole, unprocessed, easy to digest, and richer in fiber compared to the standard diet in most Western countries.

The reason constipation is potentially a serious health problem is because of how sluggish bowels affect the rest of the body. When constipation becomes chronic, not only can toxic buildup of waste products begin to burden the entire body, but the gastrointestinal tract can be transformed into a breeding ground for unhealthy microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.

Digestive disorders can also result, including poor assimilation of vital nutrients from the foods you eat, which sets the stage for a weakening of the body's other systems. Eventually, the buildup of toxins that are not eliminated by proper bowel movements will result in "autointoxication," as the toxins, via osmosis, travel out of the gastrointestinal tract through the bloodstream to attach themselves to other cells, organs, and tissues. When autointoxication occurs, a host of other health problems can soon follow.

"Death begins in the colon." In order to maintain good health, you should have one bowel movement for each full meal that you eat during the day, or at least one good bowel movement per day. Genetic differences, different body types, and biochemical individuality can influence regularity. For example, some physicians have found that stocky or muscular people tend to have a faster transit time (the time it takes the body to generate and eliminate waste products after a meal is consumed) compared to thinner people. Vegetarians who are thin can also have slower than normal bowel patterns yet still be healthy.

Symptoms
The primary symptom of constipation is an inability to pass stools on a regular basis and without difficulty or strain. Although constipation is often overlooked as a serious health problem, in actuality, chronic cases of constipation can result in toxic overload within the body and can cause related health problems such as depression, digestive problems, fatigue, flatulence, headache, hemorrhoids, and gastrointestinal pain. Constipation can also increase the risk of certain types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, prostate and stomach.

Caution: Rectal bleeding and/or blood in the stool can sometimes occur as a result of constipation. Usually this is due to accompanying hemorrhoids; however, if you experience such symptoms, seek immediate medical attention to rule out more serious gastrointestinal conditions, including colon and stomach cancer.

Root:
There are numerous factors that can cause or worsen constipation. The most common and important factors to consider are, dehydration (lack of sufficient water intake each day), environmental toxins, lack of exercise and physical movement, food allergies, laxatives and other pharmaceutical drugs, low thyroid function, poor diet, and stress. Other causes of constipation include enzyme deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, imbalances of the autonomic nervous system, and poor posture. All of these factors negatively interfere with peristalsis, the cleaning waves within the gastrointestinal tract that are responsible for eliminating intestinal waste and toxins.

Dehydration: The late Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj devoted most of his professional life solely to exploring the relationship between water and health. In his book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water, he states that most people unknowingly suffer from chronic dehydration. Lack of sufficient daily water intake can result in numerous health problems, including constipation. Water is the primary component of well-formed stools, is essential for proper function of the gastrointestinal tract and also helps to maintain a proper pH balance in the body. Without sufficient water throughout the day, constipation is much more likely to occur.

Exercise: Daily exercise is essential. Often, symptoms of constipation or sluggish bowels are merely from lack of movement. To keep your bowels regular, walk, dance, do yoga, work out, jump on a rebounder or find an exercise program that suites your lifestyle.

Food Allergies: Intestinal inflammation caused by allergies to the foods you eat can cause constipation, in some cases severely so.

Milk and other dairy products are common foods many people are allergic or sensitive to that can cause or worsen constipation. Other likely allergens are wheat, corn, eggs, nuts (especially peanuts), and "nightshade" plants such as eggplant and tomatoes. Please note that any food, no matter how otherwise healthy it might be, can potentially cause an allergic reaction. Screening for and eliminating foods to which you are allergic or sensitive is therefore essential for cases of constipation that are resistant to other treatments.

If food allergies are contributing to or causing your problem, avoid eating them for two to three months, and then slowly reintroduce them into your diet, one food at a time, taking note of any returning symptoms. If allergic symptoms do reappear, you should avoid eating that particular food. If not, you can safely eat it on occasion, no more than every four or five days. Another effective option is implementing a rotation diet plan for several weeks.

Laxatives and Other Pharmaceutical Drugs: Drugs interfere with the delicate balance of bodily fluids and cause inflammation and other responses that can result in bowel imbalances such as diarrhea, gas, and most commonly constipation. Ironically, laxatives, the most common over-the-counter treatment recommended by conventional physicians to treat constipation, can actually make constipation worse if laxative use becomes ongoing. If laxatives are used on a regular basis, the chemicals can cause damage to nerves in the intestines, eventually creating paralysis of the gastrointestinal tract's cleaning waves that help eliminate waste.

Antibiotics, birth control pills, and steroids can also contribute to constipation because of the effects they have on "friendly" gastrointestinal bacteria that are necessary for proper bowel function. Such drugs kill these bacteria, resulting in an imbalance of the gastrointestinal tract, which creates a buildup of harmful waste products and toxins and consequential slowed bowel function.

Many other types of pharmaceutical drugs can also cause or contribute to constipation including anesthetics, antacids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants, diuretics, muscle relaxants, painkillers, and drugs to treat high blood pressure.

Here is a list of the most common drugs that can cause constipation as a side effect of their use, according to the Physician's Desk Reference : Anafranil, Anaprox, Anaprox, Aredia, Asacol, Calan, Clinoril, Clozaril, Colestid, Combipres, Cordarone, DHC, Daypro, Desyrel, Habitrol, Hivid, Hylorel, Intron A Isoptin, Limbitrol, Ludiomil, Lupron, MS Contin, MSIR, Marplan, Mevacor, Nalfon, Naprosyn, Nicoderm, Nipent, Norpace, Oramorph, Parlodel , SnapTabs, Paxil, Permax, Prozac, Pulvules, Questran, Relafen, Rythmol, Sanorex., Stadol, Tenex, Triaminic, Trilisate, Velban, Verelan, Videx, Voltaren, Wellbutrin, Xanax, Zofran, and Zoloft.

Low Thyroid Function:Low thyroid function, a condition that is very common and frequently undiagnosed in the United States, can also cause constipation, as well as other problems in the gastrointestinal system, because of how it impacts the overall endocrine system that secretes and regulates your body's hormones.

Poor Diet: The primary cause of constipation for most people is a diet that is lacking in fiber, especially from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, whole unprocessed grains, and a wide variety of other whole foods. Fiber, which cannot be digested by the body, is essential for the formation of stools that are soft and flexible, and have sufficient bulk to be easily eliminated.

Other poor dietary habits include eating highly processed foods, which are acidifying to the body. Foods in this group include simple carbohydrates, white flour, sugar, eggs, and meats, all of which not only create acidity but also cause the buildup of mucus along the gastrointestinal tract. Mucus, by nature, is a sticky, slimy substance that interferes with the stools' ability to easily pass through the GI tract. Foods that have an alkalizing effect, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, help to prevent mucus buildup and also serve as natural laxatives.

Excess refined salt intake can also cause or contribute to constipation, as can soda, alcohol, and foods that are high in refined fats.

Stress: Stress, particularly stress caused by unresolved or heightened emotions such as anxiety, fear, frustration, and sorrow, can cause both constipation and diarrhea. Chronic stress can weaken your body's peristalsis ability, and also diminish the production of saliva and enzymes that are necessary for the proper digestion of food. These poorly digested foods often cause constipation. Stress also causes buildup of lactic acid, creating an acidic pH state in the body and a buildup of mucus in the intestinal wall.

Eat The Cure:

Aromatherapy: To stimulate elimination, massage one or more of the following essential oils around your abdomen in a clockwise motion: black pepper, camphor, fennel, marjoram, rose, and/or rosemary.

Colonics and Enemas: Both colonics and enemas can help eliminate impacted fecal material along the gastrointestinal tract, thereby helping to improve eliminations. Colonics help to irrigate the entire colon, whereas enemas only address impactions in the lower bowel.

Diet: Diet is perhaps the most important natural cure for constipation. Emphasize a diet that is high in fiber-rich foods, especially fresh, organic fruits and vegetables; healthy, complex carbohydrates; and proteins from raw nuts. For most people a 60/40 diet will prove very helpful. This dietary approach consists of 60 percent raw or lightly steamed fruits and vegetables at every meal, and another 40 percent broken down as follows: complex carbohydrates (20 percent), proteins (15 percent), and healthy fats (5 percent) at every meal. Also be sure to avoid all foods to which you may be allergic or sensitive.

Other fiber-rich foods include beans and legumes, ground flax seed meal, bran, and whole grains. To minimize the likelihood of flatulence due to a fiber-rich diet, increase your fiber intake gradually. In order to provide enough daily fiber in the diet, it is important to replace refined flour types of baked goods with Flax crackers, as well as other whole grain or sprouted crackers and breads, now available at many health food stores.

Juice Therapy: Fresh fruit and vegetable juices can often quickly improve cases of constipation. Ideal juice combinations include apple; carrot, apple; carrot, celery, apple; carrot, spinach; lemon juice; prune juice; carrot, beet, celery, with a fresh-squeezed clove of garlic and a small yellow onion; and beet, black radish, cabbage, carrot, celery, cucumber, dandelion, tomato, spinach, and watercress (particularly for cases of chronic constipation).