Most of us assume that if our stomach isn’t clearing properly, we simply need to increase our fiber intake. Plates of cucumber, guava, papaya, green vegetables, and salads are sure to help empty the bowels. But have you ever found yourself sitting on the toilet for hours in the morning despite eating fruits, raw vegetables, and fiber-rich foods throughout the day? Your stomach feels heavy, gas causes discomfort, and it feels like your stomach is never completely empty?
Dr. V.S. Gaurav Narayan, Associate Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology, Yashoda Medicity, explains that constipation isn’t just a problem related to poor nutrition. A recent large study of over 450,000 people in 44 countries worldwide revealed that approximately 12% of people suffer from chronic constipation. This means that if your bowel movement isn’t clearing up even after eating fiber, there’s something else wrong with your body. Let’s understand why simply increasing fiber isn’t the solution.
There are two types of fiber: one that dissolves in water, i.e., soluble fiber, and the other that doesn’t absorb water but only increases stool volume.
If you suddenly start eating a lot of raw salad, bran bread, or green leafy vegetables, instead of clearing your bowel, you’ll experience increased bloating and flatulence.
Things like psyllium husk are very beneficial for chronic constipation because they maintain intestinal moisture.
The biggest mistake people make is eating a lot of fiber but drinking less water. If the body is dehydrated, the large intestine will absorb all the water from the food, and stool will become as hard as stone.
Our intestines work at a specific speed to move food and digested food forward. This is medically known as slow transit.
When a person’s large intestine becomes sluggish, stool moves slowly toward the rectum. Due to prolonged bowel movements, the intestines absorb all the water. No matter how much fiber-rich food a person eats, they have to strain profusely every morning, and their stomach doesn’t feel light. The problem here isn’t with the food, but with the slowness of the bowel movement.
For bowel movement, it’s crucial for the muscles in our lower abdomen, the pelvic floor, to relax.Normal, when we strain, the lower muscles automatically relax to allow the passage of stool.
However, this coordination is reversed in many people. Instead of relaxing during straining, the muscles contract even more. Stool gets stuck right at the exit point. The urge to go to the toilet often persists, but the bowel isn’t completely cleared. Eating fruit or fiber alone won’t help with this problem.
Many people have very delicate and sensitive stomachs. This is called Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-C).Such patients experience severe gas, cramps, and pain as soon as certain types of carbohydrates (FODMAPs) enter their stomachs. Not every fruit or raw vegetable is beneficial for them. For some, eating apples or cabbage increases constipation and gas, leading to vomiting. Therefore, a uniform diet doesn’t work for everyone.
Medications we take in our daily lives can also worsen stomach conditions. Iron tablets for anemia, some pain relievers, and frequently taken antacids for gas.
If someone has thyroid problems (hypothyroidism), diabetes, or a chronic nerve problem, the bowels also become sluggish.
According to doctors, fiber alone cannot be relied upon in such cases. According to medical guidelines, safe medicines like polyethylene glycol (PEG) or special tablets recommended by the doctor are necessary to restart the intestines.
If blood is seen in the stool or its colour starts turning completely black, body weight starts decreasing rapidly without any reason, there is anemia i.e. lack of blood in the body, frequent vomiting occurs or unbearable pain in the stomach, then one should immediately leave the plate of salad and consult a good stomach doctor (gastroenterologist). It is very important to find out the real cause of constipation by getting tested at the right time.