Store shelves are lined with products to help improve poop regularity. But are these fiber supplements, stool softeners, probiotics and over-the-counter antidiarrheals really the best way to promote regularity?
“Unfortunately, most over-the-counter products address the symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, not the cause,” says Eva Alsheik, M.D., a gastrointestinal specialist at Henry Ford Health. “The best approach to promoting regular and healthy bowel movements is to make lifestyle changes that support digestion and elimination.”
A Glossary Of Products That Promote Regular Bowel Movements
The range of products that promise to alleviate bowel problems like constipation or diarrhea affect the gut in different ways to address different problems. Let’s break them down:
- Fiber supplements such as Metamucil® and Citrucel® can help keep waste moving through your digestive tract.
- Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications, such as Imodium® (which slows food transit through your intestines) and Kaopectate® or Pepto-Bismol® (which balance how fluid travels through your digestive tract) can help treat acute episodes of diarrhea.
- Probiotics, including Lactobacilli acidophilus and Bifidobacterium, may help relieve constipation and prevent diarrhea by restoring the balance of good bacteria in your gut.
- Stool softeners such as Senokot and Colace boost the amount of water and fat your stool absorbs, which makes it softer and easier to pass.
- Laxatives have a stronger effect than stool softeners and are designed to encourage a bowel movement within 24 hours.
If you haven’t had a bowel movement in more than three days, or if you’ve been visiting the bathroom more than three times a day, using one of these products may provide temporary relief. Once you get past any difficulty, it’s important to return to (or start) supportive lifestyle habits.
How To Encourage Healthier Bowel Habits
While changes in bowel movements can indicate a health problem, it’s important to remember that every individual has their own “normal.”
Fortunately, no matter what your normal is, there are a number of things you can do to promote healthier bowels:
Meet With A Gastroenterologist
- Allow yourself time on the toilet daily.
- Drink more water.
- Eat fiber-rich foods, including strawberries, raspberries, apples, leafy greens, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Add fiber into your diet slowly so your digestive tract can adjust.
- Exercise regularly.
When To Call A Doctor About Poop Problems
Bowel movements can contain hints about your overall health—good and bad. Poop becomes problematic when it begins to interfere with your daily life or your quality of life, but also when there’s a change.
“If you typically poop every other day and you start having bowel movements three times a day for several days, that’s an indication you should talk to your doctor,” Dr. Alsheik says.
Other features that warrant a visit to a healthcare professional include:
- Blood in your stool
- Consistent and severe bloating
- Pain with bowel movements
- Symptoms that prevent you from eating or drinking
- Unintentional weight loss
“If you have a family or personal history of colon cancer, high risk colon polyps or inflammatory bowel disease, talk to your doctor about your unique risk factors,” Dr. Alsheik says. “There are a variety of things we can do to support your bowel habits and ensure nothing more serious is going on.”
Reviewed by Eva Alsheik, M.D., a gastrointestinal specialist who sees patients at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Henry Ford Medical Center - Royal Oak.
