A few kiwis a day help relieve constipation, and may be more effective than a high-fiber diet, new recommendations from doctors show.
For better bowel emptying, it is better to drink mineral-rich water than tap water, and magnesium oxide supplements are good for relieving symptoms.
Scientists from King's College London, who prepared the guidelines by analysing all the available evidence, said there are many more ways to get your bowels moving than the usual advice of "just eat more fibre".
Incarceration affects one in ten people and can significantly impact quality of life.
With or without crust?
Constipation occurs if you haven't had a bowel movement at least three times in the past week or if you have gone less frequently than usual, writes the British National Health Service (NHS).
Straining to go to the toilet or feeling like your bowels are not completely emptying can also be a sign of constipation, but they are not the only ones.
"People can report up to 30 different symptoms of constipation," says Irini Dimidi, study author and professor of nutritional sciences at King's College London.
New guidelines suggest that you first take care of your fruit and water intake, and only then think about the latest probiotic or eating a variety of fiber types, she explains.
- How often should you poop?
- Colon cancer: How to check the stool
- Why your poop sometimes floats: It could be about your gut health
Dimidi recommends eating two to three kiwis or 8–10 prunes throughout the day to relieve constipation.
With or without kiwi peel?
"Even without the peel, kiwi is good and contains fiber," she says.
There is no harm in keeping the peel, he adds.
The fiber in kiwi acts on the intestines by increasing the volume of stool, which can stimulate contractions in the intestines.
"Kiwi also increases the amount of water in the intestines, which can soften stool," explains Dimidi.
Snacking on eight to 10 prunes a day and a little rye bread can have a similar effect.
Mineral water is better than tap water, says Dimiri, although bottled water in the UK contains fewer minerals than in other places, such as Eastern Europe.
The key mineral is magnesium, which has a laxative effect.
Therefore, according to research, magnesium oxide supplements have shown numerous benefits.
Among these benefits are reducing lower abdominal pain, bloating, straining, and facilitating bowel movements.
When it comes to probiotics, some types may improve certain symptoms, but research on the effects of many probiotic strains is still lacking, data shows.
New advice
Until now, guidelines for doctors treating patients with constipation have been limited and outdated, based on recommendations to increase fiber and water intake, the researchers write.
The new advice is based on evidence from 75 clinical trials analyzed by experts.
The new guidelines "represent a promising step towards empowering healthcare professionals and their patients to manage constipation through diet," said Kevin Whelan, lead author of the study and professor of dietetics at King's College London.
This means that people suffering from constipation can now receive new advice that will help them relieve symptoms, improve their general condition and quality of life, he added.
The new guidelines are important for dietitians, doctors and nurses, and support "a more nutrition-focused and evidence-based approach to the management of chronic constipation," said the British Dietetic Association, which funded the project to develop the new guidelines.
The research and new guidelines were published in the journal J.ournal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics.
BBC is in Serbian from now on and on YouTube, follow us HERE.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram i Viber. If you have a topic suggestion for us, please contact bbcnasrpskom@bbc.co.uk
- What you can and can't eat if you have diarrhea
- What ultra-processed food does to our body
- How gut flora controls our brain
- Wipe or wash - a question that divided the world
- What is Crohn's disease and how sufferers live with it in Serbia
- What if poop from the airplane toilet falls from the sky and what is the probability that it will hit us
Bonus video:
