When To See A Doctor
Even though most people experience occasional constipation, this condition is sometimes serious and may require medical attention.
It may be a symptom of an underlying health condition such as hypothyroidism, colorectal cancer, or bowel disease .
Constipation that passes quickly and isnt severe typically isnt a cause for concern.
However, if your constipation doesnt improve with dietary changes such as drinking more water and increasing your fiber intake, or if you have a family history of colon cancer, you should consult your doctor.
Additionally, if youre experiencing any of the following symptoms alongside constipation, you should see a doctor as soon as possible (
- unexplained weight loss
You may feel uncomfortable talking about constipation with your doctor, but its important to keep them informed of any health changes, including changes in your bowel movements, so they can provide you appropriate care.
Theyve likely heard it all before and want you to feel comfortable discussing any symptom with them, no matter what it is.
Summary
While occasional constipation isnt usually a cause for concern, chronic constipation requires professional treatment. If you also have symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloody stool, or lower back pain, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Magnesium And Vitamin C
Instead of relying on chemical laxatives, the proper nutrients taken at the right time can support soft fecal consistency and induce colonic peristaltic action without serious adverse effects .
There are convenient powdered formulas available that contain magnesium mixed with ascorbic acid that can induce a bowel movement relatively quickly . A teaspoon or more of vitamin C and magnesium crystals will evacuate the bowel within 30â90minutes if taken on an empty stomach with several glasses of water. One of these powdered formulas provides 4500 mg of vitamin C and 250 mg of magnesium in each teaspoon. The dose needs to be individually adjusted so it will not cause day-long diarrhea.
Buffered vitamin C powders combined with primarily potassium salts can work as well as magnesium/vitamin C powders and may be used on alternate days for those needing ongoing relief.
The suggested number of times these nutritional colon cleanses be used is about three times per week. Excess use may create tolerance and require higher dosing.
Bowel Obstruction/partial Bowel Obstruction
While these are not the most common causes of constipation, a partial bowel obstruction caused by a mass , narrowing of the colon/rectum from surgery or chronic inflammation, or twisting of the bowels must be considered. If any of these conditions are concerns, immediate medical attention should be sought.
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How To Empty Your Bowels Every Morning
If you are in need of immediate constipation relief, you may consider one or more of the following to encourage your gut to get back to normal .
How Many Oranges To Get Enough Vitamin C
Above all, in order to achieve an appreciable amount of vitamin C, we would have to eat too many roughly 2 kilos of oranges a day to reach a dose of 1000mg. However, in doing so, you would also introduce an extra 180 grams of sugar into your daily intake, which would not be ideal for achieving a balanced diet.
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Is Magnesium Oxide Better Than Magnesium Citrate For Constipation
Magnesium citrate is a common ingredient in supplements, and it is easier for the body to absorb than other forms. Doctors also use it to treat constipation. Some people use it on the skin, but it can have unwanted digestive side effects. For some people, this could mean diarrhea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Some people use magnesium on their skin and for topical use.
The Role Of Vitamin C
- When damage occurs to the body, vitamin C helps rebuild the tissue and minimise scarring associated with the injury.
- It also maintains the integrity of connective tissue cartilage, capillaries, bones and teeth.
- Vitamin C is involved in the biosynthesis of hormones.
- Vitamin C helps your body deal with stress by supporting the adrenals.
- Vitamin C supports the immune system it helps the body fight infections and reduces the effects of environmental pollutants.
- An extremely powerful antioxidant in itself, vitamin C also helps regenerate other antioxidants like glutathione and vitamin E.
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Vitamin C For Constipation: Does It Really Help
Some people take vitamin C to relieve constipation. Is it really a good treatment? This article analyses the pros and cons of using vitamin C for constipation relief.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient. It is necessary for strong bones and teeth. It helps the body to develop immunity. Vitamin C gives you a healthy, younger looking skin.
The main dietary sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables. Oranges, strawberries, and bananas are excellent sources. An average adult needs around 100 mg of vitamin C per day. A well-balanced diet will give you the necessary amount. You dont normally need to take a supplement.
Vitamin C supplements are available over the counter. There are many different brands that manufacture vitamin C tablets in various strengths. The common strengths available are 100 mg, 500 mg, and 1000 mg.
Some people use high potency vitamin C to relieve constipation. I have never tried that remedy. However, I know it works to some extent.
There are many better ways available to relieve constipation. Eating a proper diet, drinking more water, and doing exercise are some of the natural methods. If those are not enough, you can take a fibre supplement, laxative, or a stool softener. Why do you need to take vitamin C instead? Is it cheaper, more effective, and has fewer side effects?
I dont think so.
However, you can take a high dose of vitamin C to help with your constipation on the following instance.
Grab Your Relieve Constipation Cheat Sheet Here
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Theres No Reason To Suffer With Constipation
Dont accept your twice a week bowel habits as normal! You might actually find you feel a bit lighter, actually like eating, and can enjoy life a bit more.
If youd like help uncovering and addressing root, underlying issues, wed love to partner with you to achieve optimal health. While our office is in Indiana, we help patients from all over the country and outside the U.S.
You can book an appointment by clicking here. We are also happy to speak with you at , Monday-Thursday, from 8AM 5PM Eastern time.
Nerve And Muscle Excitability
Magnesium is often used to help people whose neuromuscular systems arent working as well as they should. These systems become overexcited by chemical messages and related stimuli. This can cause an abnormal, excessive response from their muscles.
The condition is common in people who use stimulant medications. It can show up as muscle twitches. It also may cause people to clench their jaws or gnash their teeth. Thats often the case for people who find this happens while theyre sleeping at night. Some researchers recommend magnesium teas or tablets to help with symptoms of teeth grinding, also known as bruxism.
Magnesium also may help with restless legs syndrome . With this condition, people have an annoying urge to move their legs, again often at night. Oral supplements were found to improve the symptoms of RLS in a study of 100 patients with type 2 diabetes.
Not all research is clear on the health benefits of magnesium, though. Scientists who conducted a 2019 review of eight different studies found no significant benefit from giving magnesium to people with RLS. They were unable to confirm that magnesium is effective and its role remains unclear.
Many people who suffer from chronic constipation turn to laxatives for relief.
But, these can cause more harm than good.
In fact, laxative use can give you everything from stomach pain to severe dehydration, electrolyte and mineral imbalances, internal organ damage, and even an increased risk of colon cancer.
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The content on this website and in the guides and courses offered here is meant to provide information so that parents can make informed decisions and discuss these issue with their health care teams. It is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or individualized care.
What About Laxatives For Constipation In Kids
Parents should be aware that as of writing this post the commonly used laxatives containing polyethylene glycol 3350 have not been well tested for safety in children.
Many parents have reported neuropsychiatric side effects like depression, rage, anxiety, paranoia, tics, seizures, OCD, and mood swings.
The FDA has agreed to fund a safety study, but it has not yet been done.
There are many safe, natural solutions to your child’s constipation you can try, that don’t rely on long term use of PEG3350.
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How Much Vitamin C Is Used For Constipation
Vitamin C may be the most familiar vitamin on the market. It has a long-standing reputation for immune support you probably think of vitamin C every time you get a cold. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, assisting your body to repair the harmful effects of time and toxins. For some people, vitamin C can be used to relieve minor constipation. Interestingly enough, this is a beneficial byproduct of one of the vitamin’s few side effects.
Whos At Risk For Low Vitamin C
Unfortunately, given todays numerous dietary and lifestyle challenges, along with mounting environmental hazards, many of us may have compromised Vitamin C status:
- People with chronic stress, injury, or infection have been shown to have dramatically increased demand for Vitamin C.
- Women with increased levels of estrogen from the oral contraceptive pill or Hormone Replacement Therapy may have lower levels of Vitamin C.
- Cigarette smoking is known to deplete Vitamin C levels, with the added risk of accumulating free radicals from smoking.
- Alzheimers patients have been found to have lower levels of Vitamin C than normal individuals.
- Cancer patients have consistently been shown to have compromised Vitamin C status, with lower levels than healthy controls. In fact, more advanced malignancy may directly correlate with lower levels of Vitamin C.
- People with acute viral illness may have increased Vit C requirements.
In short, were all a bit different. Diet, genetics, and lifestyle all factor in. Thankfully, the Vitamin C flush is an easy tool for identifying your unique Vitamin C tolerance!
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Constipation & The Trifecta For Resilient Health
As I work with families struggling to establish stable moods, energy and health in their kids, I have found constipation to be one of a trifecta of stressors that get in the way of ev-er-y-thing else they might be doing to support their kids.
These three stressors are so important to resolve that I have started to call them The Foundational Trifecta For Resilient Health. Constipation is one of them and it needs to be worked through so they can feel better, focus better, have fewer tantrums, be less anxious, learn better, get sick less often, have more stable energy and emotions, and generally be healthier and happier.
Vitamin C May Give You The Flush Or Diarrhea
When your body cant hold any more vitamin C you start to experience gas, rumbling stomach and loose bowels. This is your bowel tolerance, or your saturation point.
If you take too much vitamin C too often, you will get very loose stools. This is a good thing if you suffer from constipation or infrequent bowel movements.
Vitamin C cleanses your body and acts as a laxative in the same way as a bowl of prunes.
This inconvenience goes away once you reduce the vitamin C dose.
Your bowel tolerance is a sign to reduce your vitamin C dose. You need to continue to take vitamin C, but you need less amount and less often. If youre sick, you can hold more vitamin C since your body uses it to fight disease. When you are healthy, you need less, and your body can hold less.
On a personal note, this is one of my favorite vitamin C side effects. Why?
Vitamin C helps you have regular and predictable bowel movements.
And this means you feel lighter and with more energy.
I have my vitamin C in the morning on an empty stomach and drink plenty of water. I wait at least 20 minutes before I eat anything. And then my body does the rest.
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Warnings And Contraindications Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a safe supplement for most people. If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, it is best not to exceed 6,000 mg of vitamin C daily. Higher levels can disrupt pregnancy. Some people may develop kidney stones with high doses of vitamin C. Consult your doctor before taking this or any other supplement. Finally, constipation can be a sign of a serious illness and should be checked by a doctor before treatment.
One study found that children with constipation had lower levels of vitamin C, folate and magnesium. They also consumed lower amounts of dietary fiber, fruits and plant foods. Not getting enough fiber can cause constipation. Fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber often also contain vitamin C. Some of the side effects of taking vitamin C are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The higher the dose, the more likely a person is to experience these symptoms. Doctors do not recommend that people take large doses of vitamin C to help defecate, but a daily vitamin C supplement may help.
13 causes of constipation
What causes constipation? A low-fiber diet is not drinking enough water, or not exercising. But there are other lesser-known causes of constipation. Including
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism, or hypothyroidism, slows down the bodys metabolic processes, even the gut.
Painkillers
Analgesics, especially drugs, can cause constipation because many of the receptors in the group are in the gastrointestinal tract, thus stopping bowel movements.
Bananas For Constipation: The Cause Or Relief
There are two major factors to consider before consuming bananastheir ripeness and quantity. One medium banana contains three grams of dietary fiber. A study published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics states that soluble fiber may benefit in chronic idiopathic constipation.
Green bananas are rich in resistant starch, which functions like soluble fiber and helps with constipation. The resistant starch escapes digestion in the small intestine, and feeds the friendly bacteria in the large intestine. These bacteria produce short-chain fats, which promote digestive health and benefit metabolism. A study published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences mentions that a green banana along with pectin can treat diarrhea in children and adults.
According to a survey conducted, it was found that people believed bananas caused constipation. A study published in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition says that bananas can cause or aggravate preexisting constipation and is used to treat diarrhea. However, the ripening factor matters here. Green or unripe bananas contain a lot of starch that is not easy to digest. Thus, they can cause constipation. In fact, traditionally, they have been used to treat diarrhea.
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Stop Eating Junk And Add More Veggies And Fiber To Your Daily Regimen
This should be pretty obvious and is important to overall good health, not just to your bowels. There are different types of fiber to add into your diet. Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber as well as resistant starch.
- Soluble fiber, found in apples, carrots, nuts, lentils, beans, etc., are just that.They are soluble. When they come in contact with liquid they dissolve. Soluble fibers swell in liquid, make you feel full, slow the absorption of sugar, and encourage healthy bacteria in your GI tract to multiply by feeding these friendly bugs. Healthy flora leads to normal bowel motility.
- Insoluble fibers, found in many vegetables and the skins of fruits and veggies, support intestinal health another way by absorbing water, making the stool more bulky. They help keep you regular.
- Resistant starch is type of starch that acts like a fiber. It is resistant to digestion and much like insoluble fiber, it traps water, adds bulk, and helps with regularity. Resistant starch is similar to soluble fiber as well. It helps feed and promote growth of healthy bacteria that live in your lower intestines.
- Most foods contain a mixture of these different types of fiber.
