Constipation is a common trouble that's mostly defined as having less than three bowel movements per calendar week (1).

In fact, as many as 27% of adults feel it and its accompanying symptoms, such as bloating and gas. The older or more physically inactive you get, the more likely you are to experience it (2, 3).

Some foods can aid save or reduce the gamble of constipation, while others can make information technology worse.

This article examines vii foods that can cause constipation.

Alcohol is frequently mentioned as a likely cause of constipation.

That'due south considering if you drink alcohol in large amounts, it can increase the amount of fluids lost through your urine, causing aridity.

Poor hydration, either due to not drinking enough water or losing too much of it through urine, is frequently linked to an increased risk of constipation (iv, 5).

Unfortunately, no studies could exist found on the direct link between alcohol consumption and constipation. Moreover, some people written report experiencing diarrhea, rather than constipation, after a night out drinking (half dozen).

Information technology is possible that effects vary from person to person. Those wanting to counteract the potentially dehydrating and constipating effects of alcohol should try to kickoff each serving of alcohol with a glass of water or another non-alcoholic beverage.

SUMMARY

Alcohol, especially when consumed in big amounts, can have a dehydrating result that may increment the hazard of constipation. Effects may vary from person to person, and more studies are needed before strong conclusions can exist fabricated.

Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and triticale. Some people may experience constipation when they consume foods that incorporate gluten (7).

Also, some people are intolerant to gluten. This is a status known equally gluten intolerance or celiac illness.

When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, their immune arrangement attacks their gut, severely harming it. For this reason, individuals with this affliction must follow a gluten-gratis diet (8).

In about countries, an estimated 0.v–1% of people have celiac affliction, only many may non be aware of it. Chronic constipation is i of the mutual symptoms. Avoiding gluten can help relieve and heal the gut (ix, x, 11).

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are 2 other instances in which a person's gut may react to wheat. Individuals with these medical conditions aren't intolerant to gluten simply appear to be sensitive to wheat and other grains.

If you suspect gluten is causing your constipation, make sure to speak to your healthcare professional to dominion out celiac affliction before cut gluten from your nutrition.

This is important, equally gluten needs to be in your diet for the test for celiac illness to work properly. If you've ruled out celiac disease, you may want to experiment with consuming dissimilar levels of gluten to evaluate its effects on you lot.

SUMMARY

Individuals with celiac affliction, NCGS, or IBS may be more than likely to experience constipation as a consequence of consuming gluten or wheat.

Processed grains and their products, such as white staff of life, white rice, and white pasta, are lower in fiber and may exist more constipating than whole grains.

That's considering the bran and germ parts of the grain are removed during processing. In particular, the bran contains cobweb, a food that adds bulk to stool and helps it move along.

Many studies have linked a higher fiber intake to a lower risk of constipation. In fact, a recent study reported a 1.8% lower likelihood of constipation for every additional gram of cobweb consumed per day (12, thirteen).

Therefore, people experiencing constipation may benefit from gradually reducing their intake of processed grains and replacing them with whole grains.

Although actress fiber is beneficial for most people, some people experience the reverse outcome. For them, actress fiber may worsen constipation, rather than save it (xiv, 15).

If you are constipated and already consuming a lot of fiber-rich whole grains, adding more fiber to your diet is unlikely to help. In some cases, it may even make the trouble worse (xv).

If this is the case for y'all, try gradually reducing your daily intake of fiber to see if this provides some relief.

SUMMARY

Processed grains and their products, such as white rice, white pasta, and white bread, contain less fiber than whole grains, making them generally more constipating. On the other hand, some people notice that consuming less fiber helps relieve constipation.

Dairy appears to be another common crusade of constipation, at to the lowest degree for some people.

Infants, toddlers, and children appear specially at risk, peradventure due to a sensitivity to the proteins found in cow's milk (xvi).

A review of studies conducted over a 26-year period constitute that some children with chronic constipation experienced improvements when they stopped consuming cow's milk (17).

In a recent report, children anile 1–12 with chronic constipation drank moo-cow's milk for a period of time. The cow's milk was and so replaced by soy milk for a subsequent period of fourth dimension.

9 of the thirteen children in the study experienced constipation relief when moo-cow'southward milk was replaced by soy milk (xviii).

In that location are many anecdotal reports of similar experiences in adults. Nevertheless, little scientific back up could exist plant, since near studies examining these effects are focused on children, not older populations.

It's worth noting that those who are lactose intolerant may feel diarrhea, rather than constipation, later on consuming dairy.

SUMMARY

Dairy products may crusade constipation in some individuals. This result is nigh common in those who are sensitive to the proteins found in moo-cow'due south milk.

Red meat may worsen constipation for three primary reasons.

First, it contains picayune cobweb, which adds majority to stools and helps them motility along.

2d, red meat may also indirectly reduce a person's total daily fiber intake by taking the place of higher-fiber options in the nutrition.

This is especially true if you fill up upward on a large portion of meat during a repast, reducing the amount of cobweb-rich vegetables, legumes, and whole grains you can eat in the same sitting.

This scenario would pb to an overall lower daily fiber intake, potentially increasing the risk of constipation (xiii).

Furthermore, unlike other types of meat, such as poultry and fish, cerise meat generally contains higher amounts of fat, and high-fat foods have longer for the body to digest. In some cases, this may increment the likelihood of constipation even further (19).

Those with constipation may benefit from replacing the red meat in their diet with protein- and fiber-rich alternatives such as beans, lentils, and peas.

SUMMARY

Carmine meat is generally high in fat and low in fiber, a nutrient combination that may increase the risk of constipation. If you let red meat replace fiber-rich foods in your diet, it tin increase the run a risk even farther.

Eating big or frequent portions of fried or fast foods may likewise increase the risk of constipation.

That's because these foods tend to exist high in fat and depression in fiber, a combination that can slow digestion in the same mode that scarlet meat does (19).

Fast nutrient snacks like chips, cookies, chocolate, and ice cream may also replace more fiber-rich snack options, such as fruits and vegetables in a person's nutrition.

This can further increase the likelihood of constipation by reducing the total amount of fiber consumed per twenty-four hour period (13).

Interestingly, many people believe chocolate is one of the principal causes of their constipation (20).

Furthermore, fried and fast foods tend to contain large amounts of table salt, which can lower the water content of stool, drying information technology upwards and making it harder to push through the body (21).

This happens when you swallow also much salt, as your body sucks upwards water from your intestines to assistance compensate for the actress salt in your bloodstream.

This is one way your trunk works to bring its table salt concentration back to normal, but unfortunately, it can lead to constipation.

SUMMARY

Fried and fast foods are depression in cobweb and high in fat and table salt. These characteristics may slow digestion and increase the likelihood of constipation.

Persimmons are a popular fruit from Eastern Asia that may be constipating for some people.

Several varieties exist, but most tin be categorized as either sweet or astringent.

In particular, astringent persimmons contain a large amount of tannins, a compound idea to reduce gut secretions and contractions, slowing downwardly bowel movements (12).

For this reason, people experiencing constipation should avert consuming as well many persimmons, specially astringent varieties.

SUMMARY

Persimmons contain tannins, a type of compound that may promote constipation by slowing digestion. This may exist peculiarly true for astringent varieties of the fruit.

Constipation is an unpleasant condition that'southward relatively mutual.

If y'all take constipation, yous tin attain smoother digestion by making some unproblematic changes to your diet.

Starting time past fugitive or reducing your intake of constipating foods, including the ones listed to a higher place.

If you're still experiencing difficulties afterwards reducing your intake of constipating foods, ask your healthcare provider to recommend boosted lifestyle and dietary strategies.