Constipation is considered a symptom that signals that the regularity of the individual’s bowel movements does not exceed three times a week. In addition, on many occasions, these few bowel movements can cause pain. This is a fairly common inconvenience that can happen to anyone, regardless of age or gender.
This problem can be resolved in a short period of time in most cases and without leaving any after-effects or discomfort, however, in times when constipation becomes chronic, it can become a constant worrying burden for the person that is even very likely to negatively affect their long-term performance to continue performing their daily activities.
Constipation usually occurs because the fecal matter resulting from the digestive process moves too slowly through the digestive tract or could not be expelled properly from the rectum. As a result, the stool becomes hard and dry, making the situation worse and the normal evacuation process even more difficult. And, that’s why the diet plays an important role in preventing constipation. In our first article, we’ve given you a list of some food to avoid and today’s post is the continuation of this list. Keep reading to learn more.
Sweet Foods
All the sweet desserts such as cookies, ice cream and cakes that are so popular have a very low fiber content, so if consumed in excess, they can increase the discomfort that is usually caused by constipation. On the other hand, these products normally require the use of dairy products for their preparation, which are astringent as mentioned in our first article due to their high levels of fat.
These sweet products obviously also contain a lot of saturated fats, which are very harmful to health as they contribute to raising the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. In addition, they can slow down the digestion and evacuation process. Another problem that can be mentioned is that desserts usually contain gluten and are mainly made with flour. This ingredient is composed of protein and can also cause constipation.
Eggs
Egg is an animal food that has a high fat content, which causes the digestion process to slow down. However, the consumption of this food is always recommended because of the large amount of energy and nutrients it provides to the body and it is very healthy. Therefore, you should not go without this product when suffering from constipation, but you should definitely not abuse it when reducing the consumption of foods containing fiber.
Chocolate
Although no scientific evidence has been found to prove a link between chocolate and constipation problems, this food has several components that can contribute to this condition. In this sense, we can cite the case of cocoa powder, which contains high amounts of caffeine, a substance that is a stimulant that promotes dehydration, eliminating fluids from the body and promoting constipation. Chocolate is also regularly consumed with other high-fat dairy products that also cause this inconvenience.
Foods Containing Gluten
It is not necessary to be celiac or allergic to wheat for foods containing gluten to cause constipation. It can happen simply by having a particular sensitivity to this component. Among the symptoms that have been established and studied in relation to gluten sensitivity is constipation. In this case, constipation of the abdomen begins right after ingesting a food containing gluten and ends when you stop eating it.
If you notice that these constipation problems start immediately after eating gluten-containing foods, such as bread, pasta, cakes or beer, it is recommended to stop eating all these foods for a reasonable period of time to try to get an improvement and to consult an expert doctor in case this problem is accompanied by other symptoms that may be a sign of food sensitivity or celiac disease.
French Fries
It is well known that frying food is a technique used to make it crispier and much fattier, so it is understandable that it will hinder digestion and also contribute to the appearance of constipation problems. Thus, to prevent the appearance of this ailment, it is advisable to start cooking food in another more healthy way, such as baking, steaming or roasting.
That’s it, to prevent constipation, avoid eating the above foods to any significant degree. Want to know more? Check back for part three of our article. In the meantime, do you have any tips to avoid constipation? Tell us in the comments below.
