Staying indoors and consuming high amounts of carbohydrate foods during the pandemic brought along intestinal problems. Stating that serotonin in the stomach and intestines contributes to the regulation of bowel movements and functions, experts warn, "In serotonin deficiency, a person may encounter some health problems such as constipation and bloating." Experts recommend consuming foods rich in fiber to eliminate constipation.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Özden Örkçü said that intestinal problems arise due to the foods consumed during the quarantine process.
Our intestinal system was affected
Özden Örkçü said, "One of the systems affected in our body was our intestinal system, which we call gastrointestinal, as a result of the paths taken in the fight against the pandemic, home quarantines and normalization processes. As our carbohydrate consumption started to increase, it brought along our intestinal problems. Even those who did not complain of constipation started to have problems with defecation."
What is constipation?
Stating that constipation can be defined with a frequency of three or less defecations per week, Örkçü said, "Although the habit of defecating two or less times a week is described as constipation, the number alone is not a sufficient criterion. Almost 60 percent of patients consider themselves constipated even though their daily bowel movements are normal. These patients usually experience difficulty in defecation and incomplete defecation. In general, in individuals with infrequent defecation habits, the duration of the stool's stay in the intestine is prolonged and therefore the absorption of water in the stool increases and the stool becomes hard. Approximately 1-2 kilograms of a person weighing 70 kilograms consists of bacteria. About 90 percent of these bacteria are located in the intestines. Interestingly, 80 percent of our immune system cells are also located in our intestines. For this reason, there is actually a close relationship between the intestinal microbiota and the immune system."
Probiotic nutrition is important against chronic constipation
Özden Örkçü said, "In chronic constipation and inflammatory bowel diseases, we recommend the consumption of homemade yogurt, kefir, tarhana soup, cabbage and cucumber pickles, which are among the foods rich in probiotics."
Children have a poor diet in terms of fiber
Stating that stress during pregnancy has negative effects on the microbiota of the mother and thus the baby, Nutrition and Diet Specialist Özden Örkçü said:
"Another very important factor affecting the early microbiota is breastfeeding. It has been shown that breastfed babies are protected from many diseases, especially upper and lower respiratory tract infections and allergic diseases, and recent studies have shown that breastfed children can also be protected from chronic and serious diseases such as obesity, diabetes and leukemia. Compared to older generations, it is a fact that today's children eat a diet rich in processed foods and poor in fruits and vegetables or foods containing fiber. A fiber-poor diet is said to increase chronic constipation. These fibers, which provide water retention, are mostly found in legumes, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. The patient's diet should be adjusted accordingly. The average daily fiber intake is 14 grams/1000kcal and the daily fluid intake is approximately 1000 ml for a 10 kg child."
Serotonin deficiency causes constipation
Özden Örkçü said that we need motivation and happiness sources the most these days, "Serotonin is one of the most important of these. It would be more accurate to direct our intestinal health rather than filling the pleasure of happiness with food. Serotonin, which is also found in our stomach and intestines, contributes to the regulation of bowel movements and functions. In its deficiency, a person may face some health problems such as constipation, bloating, and low secretion may also cause difficulty falling asleep, sleep irregularities and waking up suddenly while sleeping. This hormone has an effect on the areas of the brain responsible for sleep. The rate of serotonin in the body can be increased by staying away from stress with yoga and meditation, regular exercises with plenty of walking, foods containing tryptophan such as plenty of cheese, yogurt, milk, consuming foods rich in D, B6 and folic."
Adults should consume 25 - 30 grams of fiber during the day
Özden Örkçü pointed out that it is recommended for an adult to consume 25 - 30 grams of fiber during the day, "Pulp, i.e. dietary fiber, is the name given to complex carbohydrates that our body cannot digest or absorb. While insoluble dietary fiber prevents constipation by accelerating the passage of nutrients through the intestine and increasing the volume of stool, soluble fiber turns into gel by absorbing water into its structure and slows digestion. Soluble fiber has the effect of lowering cholesterol and delaying sugar absorption."
Follow these tips to prevent constipation
Özden Örkçü listed the fiber foods that can be consumed to prevent constipation as follows;
- A medium-sized apple contains about 4 grams of fiber and a medium-sized pear contains 5.5 grams of fiber. Especially apple peel is rich in fiber.
- Half a glass of raspberry contains 4 grams of fiber. Raspberries also help flush out toxins from the body.
- Broccoli, which contains about 5 grams of fiber in a serving, is also a vegetable rich in vitamin C and K. If care is taken not to boil broccoli too much while consuming broccoli, the fiber rate and vitamin C can be kept at maximum.
- Each piece of Brussels sprouts has 0.5 grams of fiber.
- A bunch of raw spinach contains 7.5 grams of fiber.
- Quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain, but it is still a good source of fiber. One serving of cooked quinoa contains 5.2 grams of fiber and 8.1 grams of protein.
- When bulgur is preferred instead of rice, 3.5 grams of fiber is obtained from one serving.
- Half a serving of green beans, which is a storehouse of fiber and protein, contains 10 grams of fiber.
