When’s your last poop? Three times a day to three times a week is considered regular. Constipation occurs when you’re past your regular schedule and have pain passing stool. However, you’re not the only one. Constipation affects 20% of the global population.
Beans, oats, and leafy greens have probably been recommended to you in the past. These foods that make you poop contain fibre. Increasing fibre helps children and adults with constipation.
Adding more fibre to your diet is the most common way to ease constipation because it increases both the frequency and consistency of your stools.
Fibre is in many foods, so adding more may seem easy. Less than 10% of the population gets enough fibre. Adding fibre supplements can help bridge the gap between dietary recommendations and real-world diets. Hence, Radigel can help with occasional constipation.
Learn how fibre supplements can ease constipation.
Constipation And Fibre Supplements
Dietary fibre is the indigestible part of plant-based foods. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes contain fibre. 28 grams of fibre are recommended daily.
If you’re constipated, you may not be eating enough fibre. Occasional constipation means less than three bowel movements per week. If you’re among the 90% of people who don’t eat enough fibre, consider adding Radigel to your diet.
Let’s talk about how fibre can help constipation. Not all fibres are regular.
Soluble and insoluble fibres are common.
Insoluble Fibre
Insoluble fibre doesn’t mix in water. They stay separate in your glass and speed food through the stomach and intestines, bulking up stool. Insoluble fibre helps with bowel movements by speeding stool through the colon.
Soluble Fibre
Soluble fibres dissolve in water and can affect viscosity and fermentation.
- Viscosity refers to whether fibre thickens liquid so it flows differently.
- Fermentation is how gut bacteria interact with fibre.
Some soluble fibres almost disappear in glass. They are soluble non-viscous fibres. Others, called soluble viscous fibres, mix throughout the liquid but change its flow. Soluble viscous fibres help with constipation. They soften stool by adding water and bulk to move it through the digestive tract.
Why Fibre Supplements?
Only 10% of adults get enough fibre, so most must supplement. 90% of us could use more fibre. The average person gets just over half the recommended fibre, so we all have a way to go. We should all eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and high-fibre foods. If dietary changes aren’t enough, fibre supplements like Radigel can help.
Not all fibre supplements promote regularity. It depends on the supplement’s fibre. Determine what you want from a fibre supplement before choosing one.
Fermented fibres won’t help constipation because the fibre is gone. Prebiotics feed your good bacteria.
Is It Possible to Alleviate Occasional Constipation by Taking Fibre Supplements?
Constipation can be eased by preserving the fibres in your stool. These include insoluble fibres, as well as soluble viscous fibres.
Insoluble fibre is still present in the digestive tract and can help keep the stool moist, but there aren’t many supplements that contain it. A fibre supplement’s characteristics and benefits should be taken into account when making a selection.
The gold standard for constipation relief is psyllium fibre.
Psyllium
In the body, psyllium, a water-soluble viscous fibre, forms a gel. Because it doesn’t ferment easily, it’s still in your system the entire time. To help with occasional constipation, psyllium holds moisture and adds bulk to the stool. It also has a few additional advantages, such as lowering cholesterol to benefit cardiovascular health and assisting in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels.
In terms of supplementation, Radigel powder is the only leading brand to include plant-based psyllium fibre. In addition, it’s the most widely prescribed fibre brand by doctors in the United States.
Other over-the-counter fibres include the ones listed below, each with its own set of advantages.
Methylcellulose
A soluble fibre, methylcellulose is non-gel-forming, which limits its potential health benefits. An occasional bout of constipation can be alleviated by ingesting methylcellulose fibre.
Inulin
Many plants, such as chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke, contain non-viscous fermentable fibre known as inulin. As a well-recognized prebiotic fibre, inulin encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
Dextrin Wheat
Dextrin from wheat starch is a non-viscous fibre. While commonly found in fibre supplements, it has no impact on occasional constipation.