Bad Constipation and Good Constipation

​Q1. Which vegetable contains more dietary fibers?
(A) Lettuce (B) Cabbage (C) Spinach
 
A1. (C) Spinach
Within 100 grams, lettuce contains 1.2 grams, cabbage contains 1.8 grams and spinach contains 2.8 grams of dietary fibers.
 
Q2. Which contains more dietary fibers?
(A) Rice (B) Bread (C) Udon noodle
 
A2. (B) Bread
Within 100 grams, rice contains 0.3 grams, Udon noodles contains 0.8 grams and bread contains 2.4 grams of dietary fibers.
 
If you like eating rice, it is recommended to mix brown rice to get more dietary fibers.
 
Bad Constipation and Good Constipation
 
In 2017, it was published that there was the constipation you can leave as was and the constipation you should not leave as was.
 
Constipation you should not leave as is:

• Condition that you can’t comfortably eliminate the stool you have to eliminate
• Harmful effects such as irritation, rough skin

 
Constipation you can leave as is:

• Less frequency but no irritation or rough skin
• No accumulation of stool found by X-ray (For example, there is a case that there is almost no accumulating stool found by X-ray even if there has been no bowel movement for 10 days.)

 
When the constipation is the one you can leave as is, taking laxative can lead to the constipation you should not leave as is or to laxative dependence.
 
Check whether or not you can leave your constipation as is

• I have bowel movements less than 3 times a week.
• I often have stomachache.
• My stool seems hard.
• I can’t eliminate stool without strain.
• I feel like I still have stools in my abdomen.
• I feel stools stuck in the anus.

 
If you have more than 2 clauses applied to you, you have to be careful.
 
There are 2 types of the constipation you should not leave as is.
 
1. Constipation with stool like rabbit pellets
 
There is not enough amount of stool, it is good to take dietary fibers to increase the amount of stool.
 
2. Constipation with pain due to difficulty to pass stool
 
Intestines are twisted and stool is hard so that it is difficult to pass stool. Even if you take dietary fibers, the amount of stool increases only, but stool can’t pass through the narrowed part due to twisting.
 
In this case, it is good to take Soybean oligosaccharides which soften stool and also become the energy source of good bacteria.
 
There is a food which is effective for both types of constipation.
The food contains both dietary fibers and soybean oligosaccharides a lot.
 
Dietary fiber within 100 grams
Burdock: 5.7 g
Dried persimmon: 14 g
The food: 18.1 g
 
Soybean oligosaccharides within 100 grams
Tofu: 0.4 g
Soy milk: 0.5 g
The food: 7.0 g
 
Experiment
 
7 women who are suffering from either type of constipation ate the food for a week.
The number of their bowel movements were improved as below.
 
(Before): during the week
 
1. Constipation with stool like rabbit pellets
(1): 5, (2): 5, (2): 6
 
2. Constipation with pain
(1): 5, (2): 16, (2): 7, (3): 9
 
The food very effective to improve constipation is Kinako (Soybean flour).
 
It is recommended to take 20 grams per day, which about 4 table spoons.
 
Eating Kinako with yogurt is recommended because yogurt contains good bacteria and Kinako contains oligosaccharides which become food of good bacteria.