What are the dietary taboos for constipation?

Highly processed foods that contain almost no dietary fiber, excessive intake of calcium and iron supplements, and extremely light diets that are completely oil-free. Many people often suffer from constipation due to these pitfalls.

A while ago, I helped a little girl who was trying to lose weight adjust her diet. In order to lose weight quickly, she ate boiled vegetables with white rice every meal, and she didn't even touch sweet things like cakes and milk tea. She also took two calcium tablets a day to supplement her nutrition. As a result, she became constipated for almost a week.

Speaking of this, some people may ask, the old man often says that constipation cannot eat spicy food or hot food. Is this all wrong? In fact, this statement has always been controversial. Many people will suffer from diarrhea after eating spicy food. Only people with hemorrhoids, anal fissures or irritable bowel syndrome will aggravate the edema and tingling sensation around the anus after eating spicy food. They mistakenly think that it is aggravation of constipation. In essence, it is not the same thing as constipation caused by dry stool and inability to pass out. Therefore, there is no need to ban spicy food across the board for everyone.

Talking about the pitfalls that are easy to step on, almost all the dietary fiber in highly processed foods such as refined rice noodles, cakes, and white bread is worn away during the processing. There is not enough food residue in the intestines to stimulate peristalsis. Just like there is no goods on the conveyor belt, the motor will naturally not run automatically. Even if you drink more water, the intestines have no power, and feces will still accumulate in it and cannot be discharged.

There are also supplement issues that many people don't pay attention to. After excessive calcium and iron enter the intestines, they will combine with the ingredients in the food residue to form hard complexes. The originally slow-moving intestines cannot push these hard lumps. I have met several middle-aged and elderly friends who suddenly became constipated after taking large doses of high-calcium milk powder or middle-aged and elderly calcium tablets. I halved the dosage of supplements and added prune, pitaya, fruit and vegetable puree for a few days, and they soon recovered. Of course, this also depends on individual differences. Some young people have fast metabolisms and will have no problem taking the same dose of supplements, so there is no need to generalize.

As for the extreme diet that is completely oil-free, it is even more unnecessary. The inner wall of the intestine also needs a little grease to lubricate it, just like the door shaft needs to be lubricated regularly to prevent it from getting stuck. If there is no oil at all, the friction force will be very high when the feces goes down. The already dry feces will get stuck in the anus, and of course it will be difficult to pass. It’s okay to put a normal amount of vegetable oil in your daily cooking. If you are really worried about the oil, just avoid fried foods. There is no need to boil them every time.

Another point that many office workers ignore is that they drink three or four cups of strong coffee or tea a day without drinking a sip of water. Excessive caffeine will accelerate the dehydration of the body, and the water in the intestines will be drained by the body. The stool will naturally dry up like a small hard ball, and you can imagine the pain of passing it.

In fact, there is no unified standard answer to the dietary taboos for constipation. If you find it difficult to defecate and the discomfort worsens after eating something, just avoid it next time. There is no need to follow the cookie-cutter list of taboos on the Internet. After all, everyone's intestinal temperament is different.