Healthy food for a healthy digestion
If you suffer from constipation, you may need to consider making some
changes to your diet. A healthy, balanced diet is an essential
part of a healthy digestion. That means having a diverse range
of foods, drinking
plenty of water, eating more fibre-rich foods and eating
meals at regular times so that you are able to relax whilst
enjoying your food.
This section of the Dulcolax® website looks at the important role
of diet for a healthy digestion. Remember, however, that our
digestive system is very sensitive: sudden changes in diet
can actually cause digestive
problems. The intestines need time to adapt to change in diet,
so always introduce changes slowly and gradually over a period
of weeks. Your health
care professional can provide you with more detailed information
about the right diet plan for you.
Fibre-rich foods
Fibre helps our digestive system work efficiently. It is
not absorbed into the body during digestion; instead, it
passes all the way through the digestive tract, and is expelled
when we defecate.
Fibre helps keep the contents of the colon soft, and makes
it easier for the muscles of the colon to push the contents
along.
If you suffer from constipation, you may be concerned that you do not
have enough fibre in your diet. While maintaining a healthy
and balanced diet is always advisable, it is important to note that, contrary
to popular
belief, a diet poor in fibre should not be assumed to cause
constipation. Also, while some constipation sufferers may benefit from
a fibre-rich
diet, in many people with more severe constipation, increased fibre intake may actually make symptoms worse.1
Water: essential to good health
Water is not just a liquid that we drink when we are thirsty. It is a major component of our bodies and plays a role in nearly every bodily function. Water makes up 80 percent of our blood, 75 percent of our brain and muscles, and from 55 to 75 percent of our body weight. Even our bones contain water.
Water carries out very important functions in our body. If we do not
drink enough water, our bodies can respond by extracting more
water from the colon, drying up the contents and making bowel
movements more infrequent and difficult.
While drinking enough water is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding dehydration,
it has also often been suggested that increasing your fluid
intake will relieve symptoms of constipation. However, experts have found no evidence in healthy or constipated individuals that increases in fluid intake actually provides any significant relief of constipation.1
More tips for good nutrition
In addition to eating plenty of fibre-rich foods and drinking lots of water, you can help your digestive system stay healthy by eating a balanced diet. Below are some tips for balancing your diet. Remember: changes to your diet should be made gradually. Sudden changes can upset your body's digestive process.
Protein: Meat, fish and tofu are all sources of protein. Be sure
to get enough protein, but don't go overboard. It's a misconception that
the more protein in a diet, the better. Too much protein may slow your digestion.
Too little, on the other hand, can lead to fatigue or lack of resistance
to infection.
Fats: Red meat, eggs, nuts, milk and milk products are the main sources of saturated fats in most people's diets - try to keep them to a minimum. You can reduce your intake of saturated fats by substituting some of the red meat in your diet with fish, poultry, beans and pulses. These foods are much lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, which has been associated with heart disease.
Carbohydrates: Foods like rice, potatoes, pasta and noodles give our bodies energy and are good sources of carbohydrates. White sugar is also a carbohydrate, but should be kept to a minimum. If you crave something sweet, try satisfying your taste buds with a piece of fruit. Fruit contains natural sugar but also contributes fibre and other nutrients to your diet.
Vitamins and minerals: Don't think that you can eat an unbalanced diet and "catch up" on your vitamins and minerals by taking just a multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Eating healthy food that meets all your nutritional needs naturally is the most important aspect of a balanced diet. However under certain conditions the need for vitamins and minerals may not be sufficiently covered by the daily food intake. In such cases it is worthwhile - or even necessary - to consider the use of extra vitamins and minerals - particularly so in the elderly.
1. Müller-Lissner SA, Kamm MA, Scarpignato C, Wald A. Myths and Misconceptions About Chronic Constipation. American Journal of Gastroenterology 2005; www.amjgastro.com
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