How Does Fiber Help With Constipation?

What Is Constipation?

How does fiber help with constipation? To know that, we must know what constipation is, and to fully understand how constipation occurs, we must understand what happens when we eat.

When food is consumed, the food travels down and eventually comes to the colon. The colon absorbs water, and the longer the food is there, the more water is absorbed. When our food spends too much time in the colon, it causes our stools to become hard and dry. Consequently, they sometimes become too hard to pass, and we become constipated.

Soluble and insoluble fiber, found in fruits, vegetables and grains, is not actually digested by the body. It passes through virtually unchanged. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes soft, with a gel-like consistency, while insoluble fiber simply passes through without absorbing water.

This bulky fiber acts as a scrub brush, pushing food along the colon so that constipation cannot occur. Because the soluble fiber absorbs water, there is always water in the stool to help it pass.

Any fruit, vegetable or whole grain contains fiber. However, some contain more than others. For a food to be considered high in fiber, it must contain 5 grams of fiber or more per serving. Foods that meet this criteria include broccoli, pears, navy beans, raisins, peas, prunes, spinach, barley and lentils.

Another way to increase your fiber intake is to take a fiber supplement. A variety of supplements are on the market today. Some are chewable pills; others are powders that you stir into any drink you choose.

The average American consumes 5 to 14 grams of fiber daily. Unfortunately, this is far short of the 20 to 40 grams our bodies require to process food properly.

Our shortage of fiber comes from a diet filled with refined grains and too few vegetables and fruits. If 20 to 40 grams of fiber per day seems a lofty goal, remember that just one cup of cooked split peas contains 16 grams of fiber, and one cup of raspberries contains 8 grams of fiber.

With a diet filled with high-fiber fruits, vegetables and whole grains, constipation will not be an issue. Increase your intake and watch fiber help with constipation.