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Promote Your Bowel Movements? You Can With These 5 Vitamins!

Promote Your Bowel Movements

Do you want to promote your bowel movements, for example, because of constipation? Then you are not alone! Constipation is a problem that has existed as long as humans themselves. In principle, it is stated that a person should be able to go to the toilet at least three times a week because of the urge to go to the toilet. Isn't that the case? Then you may be suffering from constipation.
When this condition only occurs sporadically, it is usually sufficient to make a few (small) changes in your lifestyle. Drinking more water, eating fiber-rich food, and exercising more are things that can ensure that bowel movements can be significantly promoted. But sometimes that is not enough.

Promote your bowel movements with 5 vitamins

Do you have chronic problems with your bowel movements, making constipation a regular part of your life? Then you may have to look for additional solutions. Fortunately, the right types of vitamins can help you with that.

After all, many vitamins are related to your bowel movements. Are you curious which vitamins can contribute to improved bowel movements? Then read on quickly. We describe on this page 5 vitamins that can help to promote your bowel movements.

1. Vitamin C

For starters, there's vitamin C. This is perhaps the most obvious vitamin for people facing constipation. And there are good reasons for that.
After all, vitamin C has a so-called “osmotic effect” in the digestive tract in non-absorbed form. What does that mean in concrete terms? Well, this means it can draw water towards your gut. This gives the stool a softer texture. This may lead to promoting your bowel movements.
That said, it is very important to properly dose your vitamin C intake. Too much vitamin C intake can be harmful to the gut. For example, an excess of vitamin C can lead to diarrhoea, stomach cramps and dizziness.
According to the NIH, the National Institutes of Health, the maximum daily dose of vitamin C that people can tolerate is set at 2,000 mg in adults and ranging from 400 to 1,800 mg in children under the age of 18.
In other words, the maximum daily dose depends on age. However, the recommended daily amount of vitamin C is considerably lower.

2. Vitamin B5

In practice, vitamin B5 is often referred to as ‘pantothenic acid'. A scientific study, already carried out in the distant past (1982), has revealed that this vitamin can contribute to the structural relief of constipation.
This is partly due to the fact that vitamin B5 is able to stimulate muscle contraction in the digestive system. In this way, the stool can move much more easily through the intestines. Is promoting your bowel movements something you strive for? Then this vitamin can contribute to that.
Despite the fact that research on this subject was already carried out in 1982, significant studies that have taken place more recently are missing.
Nevertheless, there is a daily adequate intake of 5 mg for vitamin B5. For pregnant women, there is even a slightly higher required amount of 6 mg. Are you planning to breastfeed your child? Then a daily intake of 7 mg vitamin B5 is recommended.

3. Vitamin B11

In practice, vitamin folic acid (vitamin B11) could make a very important contribution to promoting your bowel movements. Folic acid or vitamin B11 ensures that constipation can be reduced by stimulating the production of so-called digestive acids.
In many several people, constipation is caused by low digestive acid levels. For this target group, therefore, increasing the concentration of these acids can lead to a significant acceleration of digestion. In this way, the stool can move through the colon much more efficiently.
Eating folic acid-rich foods can help many people overcome their constipation problems. Some examples of good laxative foods rich in folic acid include:

  1. Spinach
  2. Fortified breakfast cereals
  3. fortified rice

For the majority of people, they already get more than enough folic acid per day due to their balanced diet. Doesn't that apply to you? Then regularly eating folic acid-rich foods can offer the perfect solution.

4. Vitamin B12

Promote Your Bowel Movements1A lack of vitamin B12 in your body can also lead to constipation. Increasing the daily intake of this vitamin could also lead to the remedy of constipation in this respect.

The extra intake of this vitamin can be done in different ways. For example, it is possible to take B12 supplements for it, but you can also get them from certain types of laxative foods.
Some examples of laxative foods rich in vitamin B12 are:

  1. Round liver
  2. Trout
  3. salmon
  4. Tuna

For adults, it is recommended to have a daily intake of 2.4 mcg (micrograms) of vitamin B12. For children under eight years of age, a recommended amount is between 0.4 mcg and 2.4 mcg.

5. Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is known to make an extremely positive contribution to digestion. When the thiamine level in your body is on the low side, it can cause your digestion to be slowed down.
This can eventually result in constipation. In principle, women should receive 1.1 mg of thiamine daily. For most men, the required amount is 1.2 mg.
Children between the ages of 1 and 18 benefit from an intake of about 0.5 mg to 1 mg. This is of course entirely dependent on the age they are at that time.

Which nutrients don't promote bowel movements?

Promote Your Bowel Movements2Just like the above 5 vitamins that promote your bowel movements, there are also vitamins and multivitamins (which contain minerals) that achieve the opposite effect. After all, various multivitamins are rich in the minerals calcium and iron.

That in itself is not a problem, but these minerals are known to make constipation worse. This also applies to certain ingredients that are used to form the respective multivitamins.
Known examples thereof are in particular lactose and talc. These nutrients can also contribute to constipation without you realizing it.
Do you suspect that the daily vitamin and mineral intake is (partly) responsible for your constipation? In that case, it is advisable to contact a doctor. A medical specialist such as a doctor can then check whether the multivitamins you are taking are good for you and whether it is not better, for example, to make some changes.
For example, lowering the dose may help, but in some cases it may also be necessary to switch to a different type of supplement.

Preventive promotion of your bowel movements with these 4 tips

Last but not least; Prevention is better than cure for constipation too. For this reason, we have listed 4 additional tips for you that can ensure that you will not soon be confronted with this annoying problem.
Promoting your bowel movements is therefore possible in practice by:

  1. Eat fiber-rich foods, such as beans, whole-grain products, and fruit
  2. drink more water; sufficient fluid in the body aids digestion
  3. Make sure you get enough exercise
  4. Try to avoid stress as much as possible

All in all, adopting a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of constipation . Do you notice that the tips in this article do not help you fight your constipation?
Then it may be advisable to contact a doctor. He or she can then accurately map out the cause of the problem.

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