A well-functioning intestinal digestive system is the foundation of human health, and without gut health, people's overall health will be seriously affected.
The intestine is not only an important part of the human digestive system, but also a unique organ in the human body, which independently undertakes two-thirds of the body's immune function and protects the body from external aggression.
In addition, the gut also extracts energy from food and provides nutrients for all parts of the body, and even more amazingly, the gut can also produce more than 20 hormones, which play an important regulatory role in various systems of the body.
According to relevant statistics, nearly 700 million people around the world are suffering from constipation, and in China, the number of constipated people is as high as 17 million, which is deeply worrying.
Especially among people over the age of 60, the incidence of constipation is as high as 22%, which means that almost one in ten people is constipated.
Constipation has brought a lot of troubles to people's lives and work, we should pay attention to intestinal health problems, and take effective measures to prevent and treat constipation in time.
01
Causes of constipation
Constipation is clinically divided into acute constipation and chronic constipation, and its specific causes can include the following:
Causes of acute constipation may include:
- Insufficient hydration: insufficient or dehydrated water may lead to dry stools and increase constipation;
- Dietary imbalance: lack of fiber in the diet and insufficient intake of dietary fiber, such as fruits and vegetables and whole grains, may lead to overly hard and dry stools;
- Lack of exercise: lack of physical activity and activity may affect bowel movements, leading to constipation;
- Medications: Certain medications, such as certain analgesics, sedatives, antidepressants, and certain antibiotics, may cause constipation;
- Intestinal obstruction: Mechanical obstruction of the intestine caused by intestinal obstruction and colon tumors may lead to acute constipation.
Causes of chronic constipation may include:
- Obsessed constipation: long-term habitual neglect of the urge to defecate, resulting in habitual adjustment of bowel movements and the formation of constipation;
- Intestinal dysfunction: weakened or disordered intestinal peristalsis, such as intestinal nerve dysfunction, intestinal muscle dysfunction, etc.;
- Anorectal diseases: diseases such as lacerations, hemorrhoids, etc. may lead to chronic constipation;
- Endocrine diseases: endocrine diseases such as hypothyroidism and diabetes may interfere with intestinal peristalsis and cause constipation;
- Psychiatric factors: Anxiety, depression, and mental stress may affect normal peristalsis of the intestines.
02
What is the harm of constipation to the body?
Intestinal problems
Constipation can lead to a large accumulation of stool in the large intestine, slowing down bowel movements and increasing the risk of dry and hardening of stools, which can lead to more serious constipation problems and even progress to chronic constipation.
Bloating and discomfort
Constipation causes a large amount of stool to accumulate in the intestines, which may cause bloating, abdominal pain and discomfort that may affect the quality of daily life.
fissures and hemorrhoids
Long-term excessive straining can lead to fissures (lacerations) and hemorrhoids, which can cause pain, bleeding, itching, and discomfort in the anus.
Problems with toxin absorption
Feces that remain in the intestines for a long time may lead to the reabsorption of toxins and waste products in the body, which should be excreted from the body, but due to constipation, they may re-enter the blood circulation, negatively affecting the health of the body.
Digestive problems
Constipation can cause food to stay in the digestive tract for too long, affecting nutrient absorption, which may affect the body's normal absorption and utilization of nutrients.
03
Can eating bananas relieve constipation?
The answer is yes.
Bananas are rich in dietary fiber, especially the peeled part, which can help promote intestinal peristalsis, increase the volume and humidity of the stool, and thus reduce the symptoms of constipation.
However, relying only on bananas to treat constipation is not enough, because bananas can only play an auxiliary role in treatment, can not completely cure the disease, in order to treat constipation, first need to meet two requirements:
The first point: you need to eat ripe bananas
Usually the bananas we buy from the market are not very ripe and contain too much tannic acid, which can cause constipation.
The peel part of ripe banana contains more dietary fiber, which can effectively promote intestinal peristalsis.
The second point: you need to eat enough bananas
Only adequate intake of dietary fiber can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and help smooth stool excretion.
In addition to bananas, the following foods can be regarded as intestinal "manure pushers", if you have constipation problems, it is recommended that you usually eat more, which may help make it difficult for the big belly to leave you.
04
The intestinal "manure pusher" has been revealed, bananas are not on the list, it is recommended to eat more, big belly or leave you
sweet potato
Sweet potato is a nutrient-rich, low-calorie food containing a lot of dietary fiber and pectin, which can effectively promote intestinal peristalsis, increase fecal volume, soften feces, and relieve constipation.
The dietary fiber in sweet potatoes can increase the volume of feces, soften stool, relieve constipation, these dietary fibers are natural intestinal "manure pushers" that can make your intestines healthier.
At the same time, sweet potatoes also contain a large amount of pectin, which is a natural fat-soluble fiber that can increase the mucus secretion of the gastric mucosa, protect the gastric mucosa, and prevent gastric cancer.
Prunes
This small fruit of prunes has an amazing ability to "push manure", it is like an efficient and harmless "manure pusher", silently giving in our intestines, helping us relieve constipation and let the big belly also leave you.
Prunes are rich in dietary fiber, which expands when exposed to water in the body to form a jelly-like substance that helps soften feces and promote intestinal peristalsis.
This is as if a gentle "comb" is formed in the intestine, making the stool "comb" softer and easier to pass through the intestine.
chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage is a nutritious vegetable, it contains a lot of dietary fiber, helps to improve digestion and promote intestinal peristalsis, eating more Chinese cabbage can effectively relieve constipation, making the body more relaxed and comfortable.
In addition to this, bok choy is also rich in vitamins and minerals, which can help the body detoxify and burn calories, thereby helping to reduce the accumulation of belly fat.
Therefore, regular consumption of Chinese cabbage can help you stay away from the big belly, make you healthier and slimmer, in order to give full play to the nutritional value of Chinese cabbage, you can cook it in a variety of ways such as stir-frying, stewing, cold mix, etc.
apple
Apples are a fruit widely believed to be good for health, not only effective in boosting immunity and resistance, but also promoting intestinal peristalsis and helping with constipation.
Apples are rich in dietary fiber, which can increase stool volume, soften stool, and stimulate intestinal peristalsis, thereby promoting bowel movements.
In addition, apples contain a variety of substances that are beneficial to intestinal health, such as gums and flavonoids, which protect the intestinal mucosa and reduce the risk of intestinal infections and inflammation.
05
In addition, 4 laxative tips, also commonly used by doctors
Increase water intake
Drink enough water every day to maintain the body's water balance, insufficient water will lead to dry stools, aggravate constipation symptoms, drink a glass of light honey water or light salt water when you get up in the morning, be careful not to be too sweet or salty.
Increase exercise
Proper exercise can promote intestinal peristalsis, increase the frequency of bowel movements, and it is recommended that patients with constipation should avoid sitting and sleeping for a long time.
Usually, you can properly carry out lifting exercises, exercise the function of the sphincter, and can also carry out other exercises, such as skipping rope, jogging, etc., insist on 30 minutes a day to accelerate body metabolism and promote bowel movements.
Develop good lifestyle habits
Maintain a good schedule, avoid staying up late, and get enough sleep.
Reduce delicate food intake
Too much delicate food intake will cause intestinal peristalsis to slow down, increase the occurrence of constipation, should appropriately reduce the intake of white bread, sugar, coffee, red meat and other refined foods.
06
Read more: If there are 3 abnormalities during bowel movements, you need to be alert to bowel cancer
Change in bowel habits
If persistent constipation or diarrhea, alternating constipation and diarrhea, or disturbance of bowel habits, it may be caused by cancer cells growing and narrowing the intestinal lumen or cancer lesions irritating the intestinal mucosa.
Difficulty defecating
If you feel dry and difficult to pass stool during bowel movements, or if you have fewer than two bowel movements a week, it may be caused by a cancer that reduces stool storage space or blocks the stool output channel.
Blood in the stool
If bloody stools appear, it may be a sign of bowel cancer. However, it can also be caused by anorectal diseases such as fissures or hemorrhoids.
In general, blood in the stool caused by anorectal diseases such as hemorrhoids, blood floating on the surface of the stool and painful defecation, while blood in the stool caused by bowel cancer, blood may be mixed in the stool, or appear dark red.