Lactic ferments and constipation

Lactic ferments are used for constipation, also called constipation, to restore bowel function, when stressful life situations or disorders of the gastrointestinal system alter the balance of the bacterial flora.

In fact, seasonal or dietary changes, changes in normal daily living habits, stress, nervous tension, worries, poor dietary regimes for water, fiber and mineral salts, pharmacological and antibiotic treatments, are all factors that can cause constipation.

Constipation symptoms and causes

Constipation is caused by too slow movement of the digested material through the colon, which results in an excessive amount of water absorbed by the intestine.

As we have said, often the cause of constipation is intestinal dysbiosis, that is the alteration of the bacterial flora, a true vital motor of the gastrointestinal system, whose efficiency has always been considered by holistic medicines the foundation of the general health of the human organism.

Constipation manifests itself as a lack of stimulation to defecation . From this point of view it is a difficult symptom to define, since the function of the evacuation process presupposes a normal rectal sensitivity.

There is a primary constipation, which depends on factors related to the malfunctioning of the intestine, induced by an altered motility of the colon (colic inertia), that is, poor or absent peristalsis (the contraction performed by the intestine, which allows the stool to escape).

Secondary constipation, on the other hand, is determined by factors that do not depend on intestinal motility itself, but have an organic origin: even serious pathologies such as neoplastic lesions, diverticulitis, radiotherapy, inflammatory stenosis, mucosal or muscular lesions (myotonic dystrophy, systemic sclerosis) .

The most common causes are the use of some drugs that give constipation, metabolic abnormalities, diabetes, gout, lack of some mineral salts (especially potassium and magnesium), thyroid disorders, pregnancy and dehydration as a secondary effect.

Even psychosocial conditions can affect the onset of this disorder: the difficult use of toilets, not being able to relax in a bathroom other than one's own and a prolonged stay in bed can give rise to constipation.

When to take lactic ferments?

How lactic ferments work in the treatment of diarrhea

Lactic ferments are used for constipation, because these microorganisms perform an action supporting the bacterial flora . They belong to a large extent to the genera Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus m and to the species Streptococcus.

Some are already present in our intestines, probiotics ; while others we take them from the outside with yogurt ( Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus ) or other natural supplements.

Going to integrate our good bacteria, their presence favors many vital processes, indispensable for the physiological development of our organism, guaranteeing their general well-being, a situation that justifies the primary role attributed to live lactic ferments in the treatment of digestive tract disorders such as diarrhea and constipation.

The final part of the intestine, called the colon, is populated by billions of good bacteria (eubiotics), which have the main task of synthesizing digestion residues (fibers, carbohydrates and proteins), through fermentative and putrefactive processes of food remains .

In the presence of poor digestion it happens that the normal balance between good (eubiotic) and harmful (pathogenic) bacteria is altered in favor of the latter. Lactic ferments or probiotics are live microorganisms, capable of rebalancing the intestinal ecosystem and positively influencing it.

In herbal medicine they are found in capsules, vials or chewable tablets, according to a formulation that allows them to overcome the gastric barrier, maintaining their ability to colonize the intestine intact, where they interact by enhancing the microbial flora and restoring its balance.

Often these supplements also contain substances that can stimulate and promote the growth of "friendly" bacteria with the presence of said prebiotic substances. Lactic ferments can also be used during pregnancy.