Bowel Movement Question

[iLoveSugar]

If cascara sagrada and the carrot salad are responsible for absorbing endotoxin, and speeding of bowel movements, what is responsible for making the stool loose, or soft per se?

 

[tara]

If cascara sagrada and the carrot salad are responsible for absorbing endotoxin, and speeding of bowel movements, what is responsible for making the stool loose, or soft per se?

Carrot salad helps carry toxins incl. endotoxin (and estrogen) out of the body; for some people it helps speed bowel, for others it slows it down. Activated charcoal can absorb toxins incl. endotoxin; it also absorbs nutrients; for some people it slows bowel movements. Cascara sagrada can soften stools and speed bowel movements.

 

[iLoveSugar]

If cascara sagrada and the carrot salad are responsible for absorbing endotoxin, and speeding of bowel movements, what is responsible for making the stool loose, or soft per se?

Carrot salad helps carry toxins incl. endotoxin (and estrogen) out of the body; for some people it helps speed bowel, for others it slows it down. Activated charcoal can absorb toxins incl. endotoxin; it also absorbs nutrients; for some people it slows bowel movements. Cascara sagrada can soften stools and speed bowel movements.

They both have helped induce bowel movements for me, but neither has helped with making them soft. I strain quite hard all the time.

 

[Peata]

If cascara sagrada and the carrot salad are responsible for absorbing endotoxin, and speeding of bowel movements, what is responsible for making the stool loose, or soft per se?

Carrot salad helps carry toxins incl. endotoxin (and estrogen) out of the body; for some people it helps speed bowel, for others it slows it down. Activated charcoal can absorb toxins incl. endotoxin; it also absorbs nutrients; for some people it slows bowel movements. Cascara sagrada can soften stools and speed bowel movements.

They both have helped induce bowel movements for me, but neither has helped with making them soft. I strain quite hard all the time.

On the Long-winded digest thread, there was talk of taking Tablespoons of coconut oil with AC to help prevent constipation (and I assume hard stool).

 

[bradley]

Sounds like dehydration. I'd try eating a good amount of water rich fruit like watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, oranges, mangoes, etc..

If cascara sagrada and the carrot salad are responsible for absorbing endotoxin, and speeding of bowel movements, what is responsible for making the stool loose, or soft per se?

Carrot salad helps carry toxins incl. endotoxin (and estrogen) out of the body; for some people it helps speed bowel, for others it slows it down. Activated charcoal can absorb toxins incl. endotoxin; it also absorbs nutrients; for some people it slows bowel movements. Cascara sagrada can soften stools and speed bowel movements.

They both have helped induce bowel movements for me, but neither has helped with making them soft. I strain quite hard all the time.

 

[maroozio]

Many people come to me looking for help in resolving their bowel issues. The colon's job is to retain valuable electrolytes before elimination. One of the commonest reasons I see for constipation is overconsumption of plain water which will excrete too many minerals via the kidneys. Barring any other reasons such as hypothyroidism, dysbiosis, bad developmental habits regarding when and where to eliminate, (this will suppress the urge to have bowel movements as many would rather suffer than use a public bathroom), dependence on fiber etc. You need the right balance of electrolytes for your system in order to have smooth coordinated muscle contractions. The longer the stool stays in the bowel, the drier it becomes. You can try using combinations of magnesium, calcium and potassium and adjust the ratios until you get stools that pass easily. Coconut water is very high in potassium which is why overconsumption will give you the runs as will magnesium.

Hope this helps

 

[iLoveSugar]

I feel like I get good amounts of sodium, magnesium, and calcium--maybe not so much potassium. My bowels are ALWAYS dry, hard, and non relieving. If I miss just 1 day, I hurt incredibly bad. Every piece of my body, and I get deathly depressed.

 

[iLoveSugar]

I definitely feel hypothyroid as well; I just can't fix it. Maybe it's secondary to a more important issue, hence the reason for no relief with thyroid or food?

 

[maroozio]

Potassium is a must have and is probably the most important mineral for having soft stools. Have you tried a good probiotic mix. A good bowel probiotic should have bifido strains as the dominant species. A large percentage of the stool is bacteria which holds moisture. Another approach would be to optimize the bowel environment using a resistant starch. Feeding the bacteria in the colon with this type of starch increases the production of butyrate in the colon which is necessary for bowel health. Start slow as this can cause excess gas and bloating.

 

[iLoveSugar]

Potassium is a must have and is probably the most important mineral for having soft stools. Have you tried a good probiotic mix. A good bowel probiotic should have bifido strains as the dominant species. A large percentage of the stool is bacteria which holds moisture. Another approach would be to optimize the bowel environment using a resistant starch. Feeding the bacteria in the colon with this type of starch increases the production of butyrate in the colon which is necessary for bowel health. Start slow as this can cause excess gas and bloating.

I didn't think Ray was a fan of probiotics?

 

[maroozio]

Ray is right, most of what's sold in stores is crap! I sold supplements for 8 years so I had the benefit of direct feedback on what worked. It's all about the bowel terrain. Modern diets wreak havoc on the intestinal lining and you probably need to do a bit of work on repairing it by both eliminating pathogens and rebuilding the epithelium. Probiotics are useless if they can"t colonize. I recommend very few brands as I've noticed most are poorly designed. Most often they will promote themselves as serving one function over another by varying the number and strains they use. Many will contain short chain sugars labeled as FOS to support their growth. What is not so obvious is that most of these can easily support the growth of pathogenic bacteria just as well as the so called "good" bacteria which can be disastrous for someone whose dysbiotic. Which is why you have to work on the terrain first. Natren is one of the only brands I know of that uses resistant potato starch as a growth medium. A good site I often recommend is gutsense.org. Very informative and funny! Look up "Bristol Stool Chart" for types of bowel movements and what they mean.

 

[healthnatura]

Dry stools and constipation can have a number of sources. The best place to start is with Cascara, emphasis start, and water or coconut water. Take 8 ounces of either liquid along with the Cascara. Powder is best so you can fine tune the dose. Start with as small a measure as you can, say a very small scoop and increase till the stool softens. If the stool is very dry add MCT oil, preferably from coconut oil, lecithin and fresh juiced organic veggies. I'm not a big fan of probiotics you will get nearly all you need from the juiced organic veggies so long as you only wash them well with cold water, no soap, and don't peel them. Once you are regulated or improved, move on to looking into hormonal issues such as thyroid, iodine deficiency, intestinal parasites, heavy metals and the like. Of note, charcoal is constipating.

 

[tomisonbottom]

Dry stools and constipation can have a number of sources. The best place to start is with Cascara, emphasis start, and water or coconut water. Take 8 ounces of either liquid along with the Cascara. Powder is best so you can fine tune the dose. Start with as small a measure as you can, say a very small scoop and increase till the stool softens. If the stool is very dry add MCT oil, preferably from coconut oil, lecithin and fresh juiced organic veggies. I'm not a big fan of probiotics you will get nearly all you need from the juiced organic veggies so long as you only wash them well with cold water, no soap, and don't peel them. Once you are regulated or improved, move on to looking into hormonal issues such as thyroid, iodine deficiency, intestinal parasites, heavy metals and the like. Of note, charcoal is constipating.

Why do you say to take 8 oz of liquid with cascara?

 

[lvysaur]

Why do you want your stool to be loose? I always feel best when I take big, solid, but not-too-dense poops everyday.

Coffee helps

 

[Braveheart]

Don't strain!! Since adopting most of the Peat dietary principles with ease, I am feeling the best ever...with the exception of bowel movements...recently gave myself a hernia!!...now need operation, first ever and at my age!...not cool...angry at myself over this...I knew this was something addressed to lightly in the diet and ignored my misgivings...back to my several spoonfuls of yogurt along w 1 capsule cascara...don't give a ***t if it's approved...works for me.

 

[healthnatura]

Why do you say to take 8 oz of liquid with cascara?

Taking water with cascara is important for a number of reasons and works symbiotically between the body, herb and water. Water is necessary to hydrate and extract the essences from the herb in the stomach. With sufficient water in the stomach the natural alkaloids in the herb extract in the stomach with the hydrochloric acids. This timing of alkaloids in the stomach stimulates the pancreas and the liver to form enzymes, bicarbonates and bile from the liver's bile ducts which are the second stage of digestion. This second stage of digestion is critical because the excretions of enzymes and bicarbonates from the pancreas and alkaline bile salts from the gall bladder are necessary to neutralize the stomach acids and prepare the food for the next step of digestion. If the chime (digestive foods) do not have this swing in pH further digestion and absorption of nutrients is diminished or inhibited. Further if the acids are not neutralized they will irritate and inflame the small and large bowels. If there is insufficient water when the herb is taken more of the herb will extract in the small intestine rather than the stomach, this can cause irritation, excessive stimulation and cramping because the herb is too concentrated and not a balanced HCL acid extraction. If you have low stomach acid it isn't a concern because with proper water the cascara will stimulate the HCL proton pumps of the stomach to increase/balance acidity. Secondly, cascara works with the body to help retain water in the stool keeping it properly hydrated. If you don't drink enough water you will see a diminished result and the herb will stress the body by drawing the water from your system further dehydrating you and increasing bowel inflammation and swelling. Cascara also stimulates bowel motility (movement in the digestive tract) without water the muscles will work against stool that is harder than necessary which can cause pain.