Constipation affects millions of Americans, making it one of the most common ailments that most people would rather not talk about. While it is not generally a dangerous health problem, it can be truly uncomfortable and inconvenient.

Because of the high incidence of constipation, there are numerous medications available to help promote regularity. Unfortunately, these are not always the best approach, as they do not address the underlying issue.

However, supplemental digestive enzymes get right to the source, promoting regularity and, yes, helping you poop.

The Trouble With Constipation

Eating processed foods and foods that are high in fat, sugar, or salt contribute to the problem of excess waste. This waste is harder to breakdown, and any undigested waste can ferment. This process not only attracts harmful bacteria, but it leaves a coating along your intestinal wall.

This coating thickens and narrows the passage, which further contributes to constipation and interferes with nutrient absorption.

For the most part, the root cause of constipation is overlooked and therefore untreated. The incomplete digestion of your food disrupts flow through your intestines because more waste is present than usual.

The additional waste in your gut can ferment and putrefy which invites a host of unpleasant health issues like inflammation, and constipation medications are unable to help in these matters.

When waste accumulates and lingers in your gut, the potential side effects can be both unpleasant and can impact your overall well-being. Without treatment, constipation can become more serious and produce many side effects you want to avoid. These include:

Headaches: The pains and inconvenience of constipation can trigger headaches and stress. In addition to this, the accumulation of waste in your gut triggers inflammation. Because your gut and brain communicate by way of the gut-brain axis, an unhappy gut can cause anxiety too.

Hemorrhoids: The extra pressure needed when you have constipation can strain your rectal area, causing the development of hemorrhoids.

Unhealthy skin: The excess waste in your gut can leak out, allowing toxic compounds to roam through your body. Puffiness, dark circles under your eyes, and acne can all result from constipation and an unhealthy gut.

Loss of appetite: Constipation typically comes with bloating and distension of the stomach. Feeling physically uncomfortable can limit your appetite.

In addition to this chemicals signaling fullness are released, which suppress your appetite. This could be dangerous in prolonged circumstances, because a lack of eating can worsen the condition of your gut.

Bad breath: The gases released by harmful bacteria that thrive in toxic conditions can reach your mouth causing bad breath and an unpleasant taste in your mouth.

Fatigue: The bloated feeling along with physical strain your body endures with constipation can trigger fatigue. With time, fatigue can begin to impact your activity levels as well as happiness.

Digestive Enzymes to the Rescue

Eating processed foods and foods that are high in fat, sugar, or salt contribute to the problem of excess waste.

This waste is harder to breakdown and any undigested waste can ferment, which not only attract harmful bacteria but leaves a coating along your intestinal wall. This coating thickens and narrows the passage, exacerbating constipation and interfering with nutrient absorption.

Digestive enzymes promote optimal food digestion, which means you get more efficient breakdown and absorption from your meals. Any waste will be minimal and will not block your intestinal flow.  

Constipation medications can address symptoms, but digestive enzymes will correct the problem at the source and ensure that your gut has optimal waste to dispose of. Laxatives can be more helpful in the moment, but digestive enzymes are the true long-term solution.

Everything we eat needs enzymes to digest them down into smaller, more useful components. Enzymes also help transport nutrients to your cells.

While your body can produce digestive enzymes, the process does slow with aging, and supplemental support is often required to maintain optimal digestion. Enzymes also exist in raw food, but cooking tends to kill them off, which makes it important for us to get them from an alternative source.

The enzymes your body naturally produces can only do so much work, and the more we rely on them, the more stress the digestive system faces. When this happens in combination with a poor diet, you run a greater risk of poor digestion and nutrient absorption as well as irregular bowel movements.

The best way to promote health digestion and support the workload of your digestive enzymes is to keep your intestines clear of toxic debris. Any combination of the following approaches will help ensure optimal gut health and regularity.

♦ Eat plenty of high-fiber foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains

♦ Reduce your consumption of processed, fried, and high-sugar or high-fat foods

♦ Start a probiotic supplement to help maintain gut health and balance so harmful bacteria cannot colonize in your intestines

♦ Drink plenty of water every day because the extra fluid keep stools soft and easier to pass

♦ Try a digestive enzyme supplement, but make sure it is a plant-based product that contains proteases, amylases, and lipases to get the best digestive support.

Digestive enzymes can be paired with daily probiotics as a way to take good care of your gut. Probiotics help to ensure that healthy bacteria stay in charge of your gut and prevent inflammation.

| Related: Why You Want Your Digestive Enzymes to Be Plant-Based |

When combined with the efficient digestion services of digestive enzymes, your food is broken down fully, you get access to all available nutrients, and digestive processes are not slowed in any way.

The Bottom Line

An unhealthy diet full of fat, sugar, and processed foods will not be your gut’s best friend. Not only can it cause inflammation and obesity, but it will slow you down from the inside out.

Limiting these foods from your diet is the best way to prevent constipation. But when you need a little extra support, digestive enzymes are the answer. For optimal digestion and healthy bowel movements, add digestive enzymes to the mix today.

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