Too loose stools can be annoying for several reasons. In addition to the inconvenience of having to visit the toilet often, loose stools are a sign that your body has not had enough opportunity to extract nutrients from your diet. This can make you feel weak and lifeless and it can take a toll on various organs. It is therefore important that you ensure that your stool becomes thicker again. You can do this by adding extra fiber to your daily diet. This can possibly be done with the help of a nutritional supplement.
Too loose stools
- Stool not thick enough, why?
- Structurally too loose stools
- Why is too loose stool bad for your health?
- Make stool thicker with fiber-rich food
- Thicker stools due to supplements
Stool not thick enough, why?
Excessively thick stools are more common than loose stools. The cause is usually found in insufficient exercise and a lack of fiber intake, which encourages the intestines to get to work. But what causes loose stools? If you suffer from acute diarrhea , this is often the result of a gastrointestinal infection. This may be the result of infection with a virus, bacteria or parasite. In the Netherlands, the main cause of this problem is the Campylobacter jejeuni bacteria. This is usually accompanied by abdominal cramps and vomiting.
Structurally too loose stools
Structurally loose stools , which we are talking about here, are not caused by bacteria or viruses. Often the cause must be sought in a food intolerance, gastrointestinal disorder, stress, medication use, incorrect food intake or the common Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). When it comes to the first two causes mentioned, it is important to seek the help of a doctor. For example, if you suffer from a gluten intolerance, it is important to discontinue your intake of products containing gluten to prevent further damage to the intestinal wall.
If stools that are too loose are the result of things such as stress, a poor diet or IBS, you will have to be creative to improve your digestion and thus bowel movements. In addition to adjusting your diet, using a natural supplement can help.
Why is too loose stool bad for your health?
The small intestine ensures that the nutrients you take in with your diet enter the body through the intestinal wall. This concerns fats, carbohydrates (sugars), proteins, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are then delivered to the liver via the blood and lymphatic fluid. Here the nutrients are processed into usable energy and building materials for your body. This process is vital. A deficiency of certain nutrients can cause serious health problems.
A stool that is too loose is a sign that something has gone wrong somewhere in this process. For example, it may mean that the stool has moved too quickly through the small intestine. The body has then not had enough time to extract sufficient nutrients from your diet. This is how shortages arise. These can, for example, lead to fatigue, low energy, headaches, sleep deprivation, palpitations and osteoporosis. Reason enough to do something about loose stools.
Make stool thicker with fiber-rich food
Dietary fiber is very important for health. The Nutrition Center recommends consuming 30 to 40 grams of fiber daily. You can do this by eating foods rich in fiber such as whole wheat bread, breakfast cereals, vegetables, fruit, nuts and legumes. What these foods have in common is that their cell walls contain a lot of dietary fiber.
Fiber is a group of carbohydrates that are not digested or absorbed by the intestines. They are very small but usually have the ability to absorb a lot of moisture. This gives the contents of your intestines extra volume and ensures easier bowel movements. People who eat little or no fiber often quickly experience thick stools and therefore constipation, but the reverse is also possible: due to a lack of fiber, the ingested foods pass through the digestive tract too quickly with a thin or even watery stools. In that case, it is recommended to try to see whether taking more fiber will help you combat this annoying problem. Try to consume at least the amount of dietary fiber as recommended by the Nutrition Center.
Thicker stools due to supplements
If you do not eat enough fiber-rich food, you can supplement the fiber shortage with a dietary supplement that is rich in fiber. Such supplements are widely available at drugstores and health food stores. They are available in the form of capsules but there are also fibers that should be added to water or yogurt. You will often encounter the name psyllium or psyllium husk. If you regularly make shakes or smoothies, you can also add an extra scoop of fiber. Fiber-rich supplements are available from the brands Ortis, Lucovitaal, Jacob Hooy, Mattisson, ViVio, Biovitaal and Nova Vitae.
