What are laxatives for and what is their function?

Laxatives are medicines that help remove waste from the body. They are used to cause the expulsion of feces, causing defecation. Laxatives are products that we can find in a natural or synthetic way, and are used to alleviate the condition known as constipation, constipation or stiffness.

Laxatives are used to combat constipation as we mentioned earlier. These products should only be used for specific problems, since the intestine can become dependent and cause dehydration. But in no way should it be a substitute for a diet rich in fiber and fruit. In addition, to help evacuation, it is necessary to drink plenty of fluids and do moderate exercises.

Types of laxatives

There are many different types of laxatives where different ingredients are used so that in the beginning, they can have only one result, to remove the intestinal blockage. Laxatives can be placed into five categories, which are:

1. Osmotic laxatives:

Osmotic laxatives cause excess fluids in the intestines, through a slow process that can take a few days to increase the amount of stool. Basically osmotic laxatives transform the stool into a liquid form so that its expulsion is easier.

This type of laxative can also cause severe dehydration and loss of electrolytes due to the elimination of water, as well as colic and inflammation, caused by the accumulation of gases during the waiting period.

Some osmotic laxatives are:

• Lactulosa.
• Sorbitol.
• Glycol.
• Magnesium Hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia).

2. Stimulant laxatives:

Stimulant laxatives are made from herbs or heavy chemicals. They are sometimes irritating, often toxic, and can cause the intestinal muscles to spasm and contract. Stimulant laxatives, like osmotic laxatives, can cause diarrhea, dehydration, and bloating by generating gas.

If stimulant laxatives are overused, they tend to be incredibly addictive and cause damage to the intestinal walls as they are very sensitive. The intestines can quickly become dependent on stimulant laxatives to cause “false” bowel movements, thus preventing the normal bowel contortions.

Some stimulant laxatives are:

• Its.
• Cascara Sagrada.
• Castor oil.
• Bisacodil.

3. Lubricating laxatives.

The lubricating laxative is one that covers the stool and the intestine with an oily film, which resists water. This oily coating helps stool retain water and stay soft for easier removal. The best known lubricating laxative is mineral oil. After taking lubricating laxatives, it may take 6 to 8 hours for bowel movements to occur.

Mineral oil can cause poor absorption of nutrients. For this reason, a laxative lubricant cannot be ingested two hours after eating. This lubricating laxative can cause anal itching and involuntary expulsion of matter.

4. Emollient laxatives.

Emollient laxatives or stool softeners allow water to penetrate the stool, causing bowel movements, thus facilitating the passage of soft stools. This model of laxative does not really induce bowel movements, but it does help to improve discomfort so that the stool can come out without any problem.

The reaction time of this laxative occurs in two or three days. Stool emollients cannot be used for very long periods, especially if other medicines are taken. Some of its components may contain opposite reactions with respect to other medications and could cause liver damage.

Stool softeners (docusate) is the most widely used emollient laxative.

5. Bulking laxatives in bulk.

Bulking laxatives have highly absorbent ingredients to increase the overall mass of your stool. As the size of the stool increases, the intestines are forced to use more energy to remove the mass.

The growth of stool and the fiber in mass can be very positive things, although this type of laxatives can be dangerous, because they have the ability to block or lock the intestines.

Some bulk bulking laxatives

• Psilio.
• Rubber.
• Methylcellulose

Natural laxatives

Natural laxatives are the foods, beverages, supplements or lifestyle habits that allow us to combat, along with diet, such a common and annoying problem as constipation.

It is worth mentioning that certain foods are laxatives by nature since, due to their composition, they allow the evacuation of the belly. The best known natural laxative, among all of them, is water, which moistens the intestine and regulates intestinal secretion. Here are some natural laxatives:

The plum.

This fruit is well known as a natural laxative, and it has abundant vitamin A, iron, antioxidants, dietary fiber and potassium. On the other hand, the plum contains bacteria that favor the intestine, which is perfect for any diet that is proposed, whose purpose is to clean the colon.

The Apple.

As it contains high levels of pectin, the apple stimulates the intestines and also helps their mobility with the necessary fiber. Apple cider vinegar is excellent to fulfill its laxative function, and you can drink it in small amounts diluted in water every morning.

Tomato.

This is a very effective laxative, which contains vitamins K, A and C. This fruit offers us 10% of the fiber required daily and contains a good amount of lipopene, which is an antioxidant that helps protect the colon and prostate against cancer in man. The suggested tomato variety is organic: straight from the crop to our table.

Citrus

Fruits like orange, lime, and lemon are citrus fruits that no one can beat for detoxification power. Apart from cleaning toxins from the body, they help the digestive tract with enzymatic processes. It is worth mentioning that vitamin C is related to citrus fruits and it can change the material that we assimilate from toxins. The orange contributes 13% of the fiber consumption that is recommended to ingest daily.

The onion.

The onion has an antioxidant called quercetin, folic acid, fiber, potassium, vitamin E and vitamin C. The onion helps reduce cholesterol, improves the symptoms of certain allergies and congestion. It is also a fabulous natural laxative, which helps regulate bowel movements.

Laxatives to lose weight naturally

The amount of foods that you can add to your balanced diet to treat constipation and lose weight is almost unlimited. Here are some of the foods that can become great allies to achieve the goal of losing weight naturally:

Plantain seeds

Like most seeds, plantain seeds are very nutritious in fiber, which makes them excellent homemade laxatives to prevent constipation. When they are consumed and reach our digestive system, and when they make contact with our intestines and its liquids, these plantain seeds inflate and stimulate persistaltic movements. If you want to reduce the bloating in the intestine caused by constipation, you should include this type of seeds in your diet.

Flaxseed and spinach smoothie

This shake is another of the foods that can help you improve intestinal mobility, stimulating the evacuation of feces and toxins that remain in our body. Its preparation is very simple, just mix two tablespoons of flaxseed with water and spinach leaves. Once the shake is made, you can drink it every morning on an empty stomach.

Peach

When we go on a diet to lose weight, it does not mean that you cannot enjoy or eat delicious foods. The peach is one of the fruits with the highest composition in fibers, which is capable of eliminating abdominal distension, reducing inflammation of the belly, stimulating evacuation and helping to lose weight.

The pitaya or dragon fruit, is a food that may seem exotic to many people, but everything that is exotic is effective against constipation and in favor of losing weight.

Consequences of laxatives

The use of laxatives can reduce the feeling of heaviness and inflammation, but they can also cause fluid loss. Both the diet we have, as well as hydration, play a fundamental role, since some laxatives contribute to the loss of some mineral (sodium, potassium), water-soluble vitamins and cause a possible rebound effect, constipation and problems of the intestinal flora.

It should also be noted that the abuse of laxatives can cause side effects such as:

• Swelling.
• Abdominal cramps
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalance.
• Flatulence.
• Nutritional deficiencies

Conclusions

If laxatives are used normally and in the correct doses, they usually do not have side effects. However, on occasion, they can cause abdominal pain, nausea or diarrhea. The abuse of such products (especially for other purposes such as weight loss) can cause serious symptoms such as intestinal paralysis, pancreatitis, hemorrhoids, among others.

If you suffer from certain diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, among others, these are a reason for contraindication to the use of laxatives and you should consult your treating physician before consuming them on your own.