Many people tend to think of constipation and diarrhea as two opposite conditions, but to gut health specialists such as myself, they’re really two sides of the same problem in many cases.
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They’re both often due to motility issues whether that is as a result of nerve or muscle damage affecting perilstasis; other Enteric Nervous System (ENS) related issues; fecal impaction or side effects of medication.
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When you eat, the food moves through your body through the gastrointestinal tract where it’s broken down both mechanically and chemically. The nutrients are to be extracted and absorbed in the small intestines and the waste products then expelled out of the body. Your colon is responsible for absorbing water from your stool and recycling it back in the body before expelling waste.
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DIARRHEA
When motility happens too quickly, there’s not enough time for optimal digestion and consequently absorption of water hence the watery loose stools in diarrhea.
Diarrhea can also be the body’s last ditch effort to try to move waste out of the body when there’s been constipation. Known as paradoxical diarrhea, this is often a result of fecal impaction (basically a mass of stool is blocking the tract).
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CONSTIPATION
Motility is too slow so that intestines are absorbing more water than it should. Hence the hard, lumpy stools that are difficult to pass.
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Most food stays in the stomach for 2-4 hours.
- Low fat meal may take less time and high fiber meal may take longer.
Several other factors affect stool transit time including:
💦hydration
🥗fiber consumption
🥛food intolerances
💊Overuse of laxatives/certain meds
🦠Dysbiosis
😫stress
- Chronic stress lengthens time food stays in stomach while acute stress and nervousness does the opposite.
If you struggle with chronic diarrhea and or constipation, it is highly likely that your gut health is compromised. Rather than continually popping laxatives and other over the counter medications that end up causing more harm than good, reach out to me to see if you’ll be a good fit for our Gut Rehab Program. You may take advantage of a complimentary 15 minutes call if you would like an opportunity for us to discuss your symptoms and discover what the path to healing may look like for you. Book your complimentary call here
Disclaimer: The information presented herein is strictly for informational purposes. Consult your trusted health practitioner for individualized care. If you need to work with a holistic nutrition professional that specializes in gut health, contact me, I’ll be happy to provide personalized support🌱