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Constipation

Shocking Yet Most Common Cause of Constipation Exposed

By November 30th, 2012No Comments

Cause of ConstipationDiet plays an important role in digestive health, but not for all of the reasons that you may think. As you sit on the toilet straining, you may be wondering if your cheese pizza followed by string cheese prior to your grilled cheese sandwich is your cause of constipation; and while excessive cheesiness can certainly contribute to your now second job of toilet supervisor, you may be missing one shocking yet one of the most important chronic constipation causes, excessive yeasty-ness. In fact, constipation is one of the symptoms of candida overgrowth!

Nobody likes to talk about poop, but everybody becomes concerned when they can’t perform this basic function. What’s worse is that they may be overlooking one of the most common reasons for constipation, although most are on the right track when believing that diet plays a role. While it’s often been said that a lack of fiber can be a cause of constipation, it’s not the only one, and if you aren’t treating the true cause of your constipation, possible candida yeast overgrowth, you can eat as many bowls of (unhealthy!) frosted Mini Wheats as you like and still suffer from an inability to go, along with other associated constipation side effects.

However, don’t be fooled by the frequent commercials featuring a graceful and charming Jamie Lee Curtis eating yogurt like it’s going out of style, thinking that she knows what’s up with digestive health and that eating yogurt is supposedly a great way to combat this lesser known cause of constipation – candida. In fact, while healthy bacterial cultures are healthy for our digestive system and can contribute to reducing yeast and help prevent recurrent yeast infections in women, don’t rush to grab a spoon before reading your yogurt’s ingredient list. The regular Activia yogurt actually also includes whey protein concentrate, corn starch, modified cornstarch, gelatin, malic acid, sodium citrate, and fructose and sugar! Did we mention “sugar”? Sugar, in fact, feeds candida, so do any sugar replacements, such as the dangerous aspartame found in the nonfat Activia kind.

Some great ways to battle this most common cause of constipation is to avoid sweet food items, the preferred fine dining entrée of yeast. Stay away from fruit juice and soda and if you must have sweets, opt for fruit, but, not too much, since fructose is still sugar! The candida yeast isn’t likely to depart if you are keeping it well fed. If you are still experiencing a blocked poo chute, try some herbal constipation remedies or magnesium vitamins, which you can read about in our other articles.

It’s important to speak to your doctor about your constipation. It could be a sign of an underlying illness, especially if you are exhibiting other symptoms. Additionally, speak to your doctor about any herbal remedies you are considering. Some may have drug or condition interactions that you need to be aware of before proceeding.

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