Foods that cause constipation (constipation)

Constipation or constipation makes you irritated because defecating is difficult. In addition, other symptoms of constipation, such as heartburn and stomach problems, also further interfere with activities. The causes of difficulty defecating actually vary, but the most common is your daily food choices. So, what foods can cause constipation or difficulty defecating? Come on, look at the following list of foods.

List of foods that cause constipation that make it difficult to defecate

Constipation occurs because of problems with bowel function, for example due to infection or other things that make bowel movements slow down.

Slow bowel movements make the stool unable to run smoothly into the anus. The longer the stool stays in the large intestine, the fluid in it will be absorbed by the body so that the texture eventually becomes dry and dense. As a result, stool becomes difficult to pass and causes constipation.

Well, one of the causes that slows down bowel movements and triggers constipation symptoms is the intake of low-fiber foods. Fiber itself is a source of the most nutrients the body needs to soften the stool and keep the bowels smooth so that the stool can pass more easily.

So if you don't eat enough fiber, your bowel movements will slow down so that the stool dries up and hardens in the stomach. Finally there was constipation.

In order not to be affected or not to want the symptoms of constipation to worsen, you must limit or avoid foods that cause constipation, such as:

1. Chocolate

Chocolate is a food that you can find in a variety of preparations, from chocolate bars, candy, to cakes. The combination of the sweet and bitter taste of chocolate is indeed loved by many people. Unfortunately, chocolate is one of the foods that cause constipation in some people.

Until now researchers have not found a substance in chocolate that triggers constipation. However, most researchers believe that the mixture of milk in food is what causes difficulty defecating.

In addition, researchers also argue that the caffeine content in chocolate is the culprit. Caffeine has a diuretic effect that makes a person urinate more often.

This can reduce the water content in the body, making the stool denser and drier. Moreover, chocolate also tends to be high in sugar which can affect bowel movements.

Apart from being a potential cause of difficult bowel movements, chocolate is a food taboo for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some chocolates contain fat, which can slow down the contraction of the peristaltic muscles that push stool through the intestines.

2. Dairy products

Apart from chocolate, dairy products are very often the cause of constipation.

Most likely, people who experience constipation because of dairy products have a lactose intolerance. Yes, cow, goat, or sheep milk contains lactose — the natural sugar in the milk of these animals.

People with lactose intolerance will experience symptoms of constipation after they eat dairy products. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic website, this condition occurs because the body does not have a special enzyme that is responsible for digesting lactose.

3. Red meat

Don't be weird if you experience constipation after eating red meat. These foods can be a cause of constipation because they contain high fat.

In addition to fats that are difficult to digest, the reason why red meat is a food that causes difficulty defecating is high iron content and hard protein fiber. All of these effects can result in hard stools and constipation.

4. Foods that contain gluten

Gluten is the protein in wheat, rye (rye), barley (barley), and cereals. You can easily find gluten in many foods, such as bread, cereals, and pasta.

Although these foods seem safe, some people can experience constipation after consuming them. These foods are the main cause of constipation in people with Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and irritable bowel syndrome.

The appearance of constipation is a symptom of people with the disease after they eat gluten foods.

5. Fast food

If you want to live a healthy life, you have to limit your consumption of fast food. In addition to increasing the risk of hypertension and chronic disease, these foods can actually cause constipation.

This happens because fast food tends to be high in fat but low in fiber. The combination of these two can slow down bowel movements so that stool is difficult to pass. In addition, these foods are also high in salt which can reduce water content in feces.

When the salt level in the body is high enough, the body will use more water in the intestines to normalize blood pressure. Unfortunately, this can lead to dry, denser, and harder to pass stool.

6. Foods made from processed grains

Processed grains such as white rice, white bread, and white pasta are lower in fiber than whole grains. Whereas initially, whole grains contain high fiber. However, the processing into certain food ingredients can remove certain fibers.

Low fiber in these foods, when consumed in large quantities, can cause constipation. In fact, it aggravates existing constipation symptoms.

Foods that cause constipation for each person are different

The foods mentioned above often cause constipation. However, not everyone who eats these foods will immediately become constipated.

Constipation can occur if these foods are consumed in excess. It can also be combined with other causes, such as rarely exercising, not drinking enough, or having a habit of holding back bowel movements.

Besides, not everyone responds to these foods in the same way. For example, Ina gets constipated easily from eating chocolate, but not with Roni. So, this depends on the response of each body.

Apart from the foods above, there are also other foods that cause constipation. This is very possible in people who have allergies to certain types of food.

The National Health Service states that constipation is an allergic reaction to non-IgE foods. This means that the body's immune system that feels threatened by certain substances in food does not produce antibodies, but orders T cells to fight these substances.

Examples of foods that cause constipation in allergic people are seafood, eggs, and nuts.