Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (113 page)

Add magnesium.
Magnesium helps keep peristalsis—rhythmic muscle relaxation and contraction—working by proper relaxation of muscles. Americans have widespread magnesium deficiency that contributes to constipation. According to recent studies, 75 percent of magnesium is lost during food processing, and 40 percent of Americans fail to meet the RDA levels for daily magnesium intake. Take at least 400 mg daily. I’ve had clients who initially needed 2,000 mg of magnesium. Eventually, their deficiency lessens and they need less. If you need large amounts of magnesium, you may want to use 1 teaspoon daily of choline citrate to increase absorption. Too much magnesium can cause diarrhea.

Take digestive enzymes.
Many people report that they have more regular and easy bowel movements when they take digestive enzyme supplements.

Address lactose intolerance
. People with lactose intolerance sometimes become constipated from dairy products.

Assess stress.
See
Chapter 16
for stress-management ideas.

Evaluate medications.
Many medications can cause constipation: pain relievers, antacids that contain aluminum, antispasmodic drugs, antidepressants, tranquilizers, iron supplements, anticonvulsants, diuretics, anesthetics, anticholinergics, blood pressure medication, bismuth salts, and laxatives. If you noticed that constipation occurred suddenly after you began to take a new medication, discuss it with your doctor.

Investigate food sensitivities, dysbiosis, and leaky gut syndrome
. People with chronic constipation who do not respond to diet, fiber, liquids, and exercise should have digestive testing to see if dysbiosis, food allergies, or parasites are the underlying problem.

Take vitamin C.
Vitamin C can help soften stool. The amount varies depending on individual needs. Use a vitamin C flush to determine your daily needs. (See
Chapter 18
.)

Try biofeedback.
Biofeedback has been used successfully to treat constipation in people who have problems relaxing the pelvic floor muscles.

Diarrhea is a symptom, not a disease. Your body is telling you: “Get this out of me and fast!” If you have chronic diarrhea, it’s important to find the underlying cause. Chronic diarrhea can be the result of drugs, diverticular disease, foods or beverages that disagree with your system, infections (bacterial, fungal, viral, or parasitic),
inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, malabsorption, lactose intolerance, laxative use and abuse, contaminated water supply, or cancer. People with gallbladder problems often experience diarrhea after a fatty meal. With careful questioning and laboratory testing, your physician will be able to find the cause. Once you have a diagnosis, you can decide how to approach the problem.

Diarrhea occurs when you have a bowel transit time that is too fast. Feces don’t sit in the colon long enough for water to be absorbed back into your body, so the stool comes out runny. (It’s truly amazing how much water is usually absorbed through the colon—two gallons every day.) If you have chronic diarrhea, you aren’t getting the maximum benefit from foods because you aren’t absorbing all the nutrients. Loss of fluids and electrolyte minerals can make us disoriented and weak. In infants, small children, and the elderly, dehydration can be dangerous and can happen suddenly. It’s important to replace lost fluids to prevent dehydration. Drink eight to ten glasses of water, fruit and vegetable juices, or broths each day. Infants can be given a Fleet enema, which is easily purchased at drugstores. Follow the directions in the package.

Most diarrhea is self-limiting. It is the body’s way of getting rid of something disagreeable—food, microbes, or toxins. So for acute diarrhea, just let it flow and keep drinking plenty of water and fluids. If you have severe abdominal or rectal pain, fever of at least 102 degrees Fahrenheit, blood in your stool, signs of dehydration—dry mouth, anxiety, restlessness, excessive thirst, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness, or light-headedness—or your diarrhea lasts more than three days, call your doctor. Be more cautious with small children, people who are already ill, and the elderly.

You usually aren’t very hungry when you have acute diarrhea. Many foods “feed” the bugs and you instinctively stop eating. The diet recommended for people with diarrhea is called the BRAT diet, which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods are bland and binding. You can make a pretty tasty rice pudding with apples, rice, eggs, and cinnamon. Soda crackers, chicken, and eggs can also be eaten.

With chronic diarrhea, think about food sensitivities, celiac disease, or low-grade underlying bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection.

Many other substances can cause diarrhea, including an excess of vitamin C or magnesium. For instance, antacids that contain magnesium salts can cause diarrhea. Sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are sugars found in dietetic candies and sweets that can cause diarrhea. Even in small amounts, they can cause diarrhea in people sensitive to them. Some people have the same reaction to fructose or lactose.

Prolonged diarrhea is a symptom that warrants thorough investigation. These are a few of the tests that may give you information about what’s causing your problem.

Comprehensive digestive stool analysis with parasitology