Some more Constipation Causes

Let us discuss some more constipation causes – Constipation because of iron supplements, milk constipation and celiac disease constipation. In certain health conditions, you can't avoid taking medication and certain nutrition supplements. The best way is to look for reducing their bad effects on your body.

• Iron supplements

 
Iron deficiency makes you anemic. You are anemic because your body is not able to absorb dietary iron properly. When you take iron supplements, a good amount of iron is left unabsorbed and becomes part of the stool. The presence of iron makes the stool dark. Stool can’t retain much water with the presence of iron and becomes hard. This is how it becomes one of the constipation causes.

Constipation, bloating and nausea are some of the side effects of iron supplements. You are advised to take these supplements on empty stomach for better absorption.


There are a few ways to lessen the side effects.
 

1. Take them along with a meal.
   
2.  Go for a smaller dose or slow releasing supplements.
   
3.  In case of children, start from a small dose and increase slowly so that the body gets accustomed to the supplement.
   
4. Take them along with foods rich in vitamin C. Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C. But, avoid taking with fruits such as orange that are rich in calcium. Calcium reduces iron absorption. For example, one medium orange has 72mg of vitamin C and 52mg of Calcium; where as one lemon has 45mg of vitamin C and only 22mg of calcium.
   
5. Take iron supplements that contain vitamin C also. Example: Vitron-C
   
6. Look for the primary cause of anemia which necessitated iron supplements. The most common causes are poor dietary habits, heavy loss of blood or during pregnancy. It is best to go for natural iron rich foods. Since absorption of dietary iron is slow, it doesn’t contribute as one of the constipation.causes.
   
7. Use stool softeners and laxatives for immediate relief only; not as a long term solution.
   
8. Drink enough water and fiber rich food.
   
   Get the consent of your doctor before implementing these alternatives. One issue with
   the first three measures is - your body gets smaller amount of iron per day.
   
   You get dark stools when you take iron supplement. Your stools are dark when are constipated. One difference is, stools are hard and difficult to expel when you are constipated.
   
   What ever, for all the constipation causes, don’t forget the importance of water and fiber rich foods and physical exercises.
   
   
   • Milk constipation
   
   Not only milk, all dairy products can cause constipation. It is better to avoid dairy products altogether; but at least try to limit the quantity. If you an addict of dairy products and frequently troubled by constipation, try abstaining from them for a week or two and notice the effect.
   
   Its believed that milk causes constipation because of the zero fiber content. In fact, there is zero fiber in all animal products. Fiber is essential for building up proper amount of bulk in stool for its easy movement to exit.
   
   
   • Celiac disease constipation
     
   Celiac disease is causes damage to small intestines and results in improper absorption of nutrients from food. It is associated with intolerance to gluten, a wheat protein that is also found in barley, rye etc. and in some medicines and supplements.
   
   Improper absorption of nutrients effects immune system and rigger many other problems. Constipation is one of them. The only way out of the problem is to adopt gluten free diet. Since most of the processed foods contain byproducts of wheat, rye and barley, they
   are to be selected with care.
   
   People become anemic due to malnutrition. If you are taking iron and calcium supplements for you anemia, you are triggering constipation as consumption of iron supplements is one of the constipation causes.