Constipation is the inability of an individual to empty his bowels. Generally having less than 3 bowel movements per week is considered as constipation. It occurs when the stool moves very slowly through the bowels making it very hard and dry.
It can interfere with our daily routine thus causing lot of discomfort.
In fact, 27% of adults experience 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. Some foods can help relieve or reduce the risk of constipation and others can make it worse.
The following foods can make constipation worse. Try to avoid them when you feel constipated.
- Unripe Bananas: The Unripe bananas contains higher amounts of tannins, a compound that reduces the speed at which foods pass through the gutwhereas ripe bananas(yellow with brown spots) can make your bowel movements easy. Hence try to avoid consuming unripe bananas.
- Alcohol: Consumption of alcohol increases the amount fluids lost through urine thus reducing the water in your body and causes constipation.
- Gluten-Containing Foods: Some people may experience constipation when they eat foods (like wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut and triticale) that contain gluten.
- Processed Grains: The Processed grains and their products, such as white bread, white rice and white pasta, are less nutritious. And may be more constipating than whole grains. Usually in processed grains bran and germ part are removed which are main source of fiber.
- Dairy Products: Dairy products should be one of the first foods to eliminate from your diet if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The worst among the variety of dairy products is ice cream, in-part due to the milk element, but also because of the amount of additives that are very frequently used in its’ make-up.
- Red Meat: Red meat worsens constipation for two main reasons.
- ● Red meat is high in iron content. Too much iron in your diet can make the stools hard thus making it difficult to pass.
- ● Dietary fibre is essential for regular bowel movements. Red meat doesn’t contain fibre.
You may benefit from replacing the red meat in their diet with protein- and fiber-rich alternatives such as beans, lentils and peas.
- Fast Foods: Eating frequent portions fast foods may increase the risk of constipation. These foods tend to be high in fat and low in fiber that can slow digestion. Fast-food snacks like chips, cookies, chocolate and ice cream may also replace more fiber-rich snack options such as fruits and vegetables in diet.
