Understanding Fiber for the Relief of Constipation
You’ve increased your fiber intake and still can’t get relief from constipation. A key point about relieving constipation with fiber is that all fiber is not created equally.
Constipation has a real knack for cramping your active healthy lifestyle so keeping your bowels moving needs to be a priority. Understanding the difference in the two types of fiber and discovering your particular body’s reaction to the wide range of fiber available is a major step towards relief from constipation. Time to get your bowels moving in the right direction.
Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables, and grains that the body cannot digest. It comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble.
- Soluble fiber dissolves easily in water and takes on a soft, gel-like texture in the intestines.
- Insoluble fiber passes through the intestines almost unchanged.
If the bulk of the fiber you ingest is soluble, this alone may be causing your back up. Soluble fiber has the tendency of slowing down digestion to allow your body to absorb vital nutrients. In your case it might be working too well.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber has the opposite effect. It moves food stuff quickly through your digestive system. If you have been advised to increase your fiber intake by eating more fruits and vegetables to relieve your constipation, this advice may have been inadequate.
Specifically you may need to increase your insoluble fiber intake for relief of constipation. The qualifier for the type of fiber makes a huge difference in results.
Soluble fiber is one of nature’s gifts ensuring we get the most out of those nutrient powerhouses known as fruits and vegetables. What nature might not of planned for was our society ingesting diets lacking in nutrient variety. Maybe your system is hanging on longer to grab what it can from what its been offered.
The next step in this equation is for you to discover which bulky insoluble fiber sources work best for you. An operative term here is BULKY! To find them you will need to experiment. Corn, whole tomatoes, uncooked broccoli, etc. are great starters.
If you are in the condition of constipation, you may need to eat a large quantity of a variety of bulky insoluble fiber sources for a couple days before you get moving.
Word to the Wise: Once you discover a fiber relief for your constipation ~ make it a staple in your diet.
