Eating several kiwis a day can help relieve constipation and is a better place to start than worrying about a high-fiber diet, according to new guidelines for doctors on the condition.
The advice says that drinking mineral-rich water is better for constipation than tap water, and that magnesium oxide supplements are good for improving symptoms.
Researchers at King’s College London, who developed the guidelines by reviewing all the available evidence, said there are many more options to shake things up than the standard advice of ‘just have more fiber in your diet’.
Constipation that doesn’t go away affects one in 10 people and can have a major impact on a person’s quality of life.
You’re constipated if you haven’t had a bowel movement (poop) at least three times in the last week, or if you’re going less often than usual, the NHS explains.
Straining to the toilet or feeling like you haven’t completely emptied your bowels can also be signs of constipation, but they are not the only signs.
“People can report up to 30 different symptoms of constipation,” says Dr Eirini Dimidi, lead author of the study and reader in nutritional sciences at King’s College London (KCL).
The new guidelines suggest the best remedy is to focus on fruit and drinks first, rather than worrying about the latest probiotics available at the supermarket or filling your diet with different types of fiber, she says.
Dr. Dimidi recommends eating two or three kiwis per day or 8 to 10 prunes to improve constipation.
With or without skin the kiwi?
“Even without the skin, it’s tasty and has fiber,” she explains, but adds that there’s no harm in keeping the skin on either.
The fiber in kiwi affects the intestine in a way that increases the volume of stools, which can also cause intestinal contractions.
“Kiwi also increases water content in the intestine, which can soften stools,” says Dr. Dimidi.
Taking 8 to 10 prunes per day and rye bread can also have a similar effect.
Mineral water “is better than tap water”, she says, although bottled water in the UK contains fewer minerals than water available elsewhere, such as in Eastern Europe.
The essential mineral is magnesium, which has a laxative effect. And that’s why, according to research, there are many benefits to taking magnesium oxide supplements.
These included reducing lower abdominal pain, bloating, straining – and making bowel movements easier.
Regarding probiotics, guidelines suggest that certain types may improve certain symptoms, but there is also a lack of research on the impact of many different probiotic strains.
Until now, guidance for doctors treating patients with constipation has been limited and outdated, focusing on advice to increase dietary fiber and water intake, researchers say.
The new recommendations are based on evidence from 75 clinical trials – all those available – which were analyzed by a panel of experts.
Professor Kevin Whelan, lead author of the research and professor of dietetics at KCL, said the new guidelines “mark a promising step towards empowering healthcare professionals and their patients in managing constipation through diet”.
He said this meant people suffering from constipation could now access up-to-date advice to help them improve their symptoms, wellbeing and quality of life.
The British Dietetic Association, which funded the project to produce new guidelines, said they were an excellent resource for dietitians, doctors and nurses, and supported “a more diet-focused, evidence-based approach to the management of chronic constipation”.
The research and new guidelines are published in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics.
