If you’ve got problems with regularity, you’re not alone. Whether it’s occasional or chronic, you’re no doubt looking for relief. “There are so many recommendations out there,” says Jacqueline Wolf, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “Some of it works, and some is just folklore.”
If you’re piling on the beans, whole grains, fruit, and veggies and you still aren’t regular, it may be time to consider an over-the-counter laxative.
Laxatives come in two main varieties. The first is osmotic laxatives, which draw water into the colon. That softens the stool and makes them easier to pass.
Stimulant laxatives move the stool along by helping the colon contract.
When you sit on a standard toilet, your rectum has a bend in it. “Elevating your feet helps straighten that angle, which makes it easier to go,” says Jacqueline Wolf, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
First, what does it mean to be “regular”? “We consider normal anywhere from going three times per day to three times per week,” says Jacqueline Wolf, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Are probiotics the cure for irregularity? Many people seem to think so. In a survey of 2,557 British adults, roughly 35 percent of those with—versus 10 percent of those without—constipation reported taking probiotics. And a majority assumed that probiotics had curbed constipation in scientific studies.
“Coffee stimulates the colon to contract,” explains Jacqueline Wolf, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
"Very high in fiber," boasts the bag of Smart Sweets Gummy Bears, which have 100 percent of a day's worth of fiber in each serving. What does the fiber that's added to gummy bears do for you? Maybe nothing at all. Here's the scoop on which kinds of fiber do what.