How Probiotics Can Help Relieve Constipation?

It is common to have occasional constipation, as every person may have faced this issue at some point in their life. Reportedly, 14% of the worldwide population suffers from constipation. Usually, women and older people suffer more from constipation than men and young people.

However, probiotics for constipation are best to prevent this condition. In this article, we share with you how probiotics can prevent constipation. But before that, let’s find out what constipation is and the ways to manage it.

What is Constipation?

Occasional constipation has a different impact on various people. Some common symptoms of constipation are:

• Hard or lumpy stool consistency
• Incomplete evacuation
• Decreased stool frequency (like less than three stools passed from the body)
• Straining or difficulty in passing stool
• Cramping or abdominal pain linked with defecation. It even indicates Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What Leads to Constipation?

• Medications — opioid analgesics and iron supplements
• A poor diet that’s low in plant-based foods and fibre
• Pregnancy
• Dehydration
• Stress
• Inactivity and sedentary lifestyle
• Secondary medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease or hypothyroidism
• Structural abnormality/abnormal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract

How to Manage Constipation

Common therapeutic ways to manage constipation is including dietary supplements with fibre like flax seeds or psyllium husks in the diet. Plus, drink plenty of water to improve bowel movement. These are some natural remedies for constipation.

If your constipation is still uncontrollable, you can consider having over-the-counter laxatives. Some common over-the-counter laxatives are senna-based laxatives or bisacodyl-based laxatives. In severe cases, doctors prescribe medication like lubiprostone or lactulose.

Generally, half of the constipated patients are not happy with conventional measures for improving stool frequency. For some, even fibre supplements and laxatives also don’t work. Therefore, people suffering from constipation and seeking alternative ways to relieve their condition must try probiotics.

Probiotics for Constipation

Probiotics help alleviate occasional constipation. However, make sure to choose the most effective and correct probiotic strain. A large number of bacteria present in the large intestine are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species. So, having probiotics with the same strains helps relieve constipation.

While the exact mechanisms are not formed completely, several recommended mechanisms of probiotics to relieve constipation are:

• Reduced colonic pH with increasing production of lactic acid or Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) from both Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus species. The higher acidity in gut luminal contents also reduces the time of colonic transit and stimulates peristalsis.
• Production of SCFAs due to bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates within the gut by Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. SCFAs can enhance colonic motility with stimulation of neural receptors inside the gut wall’s smooth muscle that leads to peristalsis. They even increase the concentration of serotonin within the colon. Serotonin is an excitatory neurotransmitter that helps in the stimulation of peristalsis.
• Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli strains can increase the metabolism of bile salt in the gut. It further stimulates peristalsis with a higher amount of deconjugated bile salts, which stimulate colonic motility.

Conclusion

Probiotics are good for relieving constipation. So, include them in your everyday diet to maintain good gut health. However, in case of severe constipation, make sure to consult a doctor.

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