Are You Constipated? These Foods And Drinks May Be To Blame.

Gastro doctors and dietitians explain how your diet may be making your bathroom problems worse.

Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint, affecting millions of Americans of all ages. Prevalent as it may be, it’s an unpleasant issue that you’d probably prefer to avoid. And what you eat can either help or hinder things in the poop department.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, you’re typically considered constipated when you’re passing “small amounts of hard, dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week.” But when it comes to poop frequency, the normal range is pretty wide: anywhere from three times a day to three times a week. So consider what’s a deviation from your usual pattern.

Constipation is about more than just frequency of bowel movements, though. Other symptoms include pain or difficulty pooping, feeling like you haven’t fully emptied your bowels, bloating, sluggishness and stomach discomfort. Most people deal with short-term constipation at one point or another. Chronic constipation, however, is an ongoing issue that can negatively affect your quality of life and lead to complications, like hemorrhoids or fecal impaction, if left untreated.

You may become constipated due to dehydration, lack of exercise, changes to your routine (such as travel), stress, certain medications and health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

But below, we’ll focus on some of the ways your diet could be contributing to your constipation woes. The main takeaway: Foods that are high in fat but low in fiber tend to be the worst offenders. No one specific food or drink is likely to cause constipation on its own for most individuals — however, your daily eating habits can worsen an existing issue, according to Medical News Today.