Constipation and The Numerous Misconceptions

Constipation is a condition that is thought to affect somewhere between 15-30% of the population in the United States. The majority of these people suffer from what is known as idiopathic constipation. In other words, the underlying cause is not known. This is due to our incomplete understanding of the physiological, dietary and genetic causes of constipation.

The incomplete understanding has lead not only to a proliferation of natural, reputable (such as osmotic and bulk laxatives) and disreputable treatments, but also spawned a number of myths about constipation in popular culture. A large number of these myths center around how certain precautions and activities can limit constipation. Let us consider a few of them here.

One myth is that walking, running along with general movement exercises helps massage the muscles of the intestinal lining. The massaging movement is supposed to push food matter along, relieving constipation. The sad fact is that a careful study by scientists at a University of California campus showed that when compared to a group that did not exercise, there was no difference in relief of constipation for sufferers. Of course, these results are not definitive because the study only looked at the effect of one hour of exercise, but most people do not exercise more than that in any case.

Some people claim that eating more fiber can help relieve constipation. This fact about diet and constipation is true to a certain extent, but a review on constipation remedies by Fox-Orenstein et al indicated that this was effective only for about 1/3 of those with idiopathic constipation. Therefore, fiber is only the culprit in a subset of patients. The other 70% derive little benefit even when exceeding the FDA recommended dose for daily fiber intake.

There is also a myth that drinking more water helps “bulk” up stool which reduces constipation. But this is also revealed to be a myth by a recent physician review (Muller-Lissner et al) that showed numerous studies that drinking the 8 or more recommended glasses of water each day had little to no impact on constipation. These physicians did point out that truly dehydrated people may suffer from constipation, but for most of us water is not the reason for our elimination problems.

Lastly, the reader may recall that there are many advertisements these days touting colonic cleansers as the cure-all for constipation. Colonic cleansers are claimed to be remedies for toxin build-up, and general poor health. But almost every physician will tell their patients to take these claims with a grain of salt. Even the American Cancer Society has put out information warning people not to try these products.

Fortunately, of the above myths, most are harmless at worst. Drinking water, exercising and eating fiber are activities that promote general health even though they may not impact constipation directly.

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