The one thing I have noticed about being in the nutrition industry, is the increased number of “poo” chats I have with people. I remember saying to Steve last Christmas time that at 100% of the holiday parties we attended, at some point the topic of bowel movements would creep into the conversation. From people informing me of their one bowel movement a week to their fecal matter resembling Maltesers, I heard it all. My biggest takeaway from those enlightening chats was that people are constipated. To be honest, this didn’t exclude myself. I too have struggled with constipation. It wasn’t until I fully understood what good bowel movements meant that I realized I needed to do something different.
Around the same time, I was speaking to a Gastroenterologist who recommended I take Metamucil. Being a holistic nutritionist, I had my doubts about the product but thought I would go check out the ingredients before making any judgment. After a brief scan of the ingredient list, I quickly came to the conclusion that it was not a product that looked good naked and went in search of a more holistic solution.
PRODUCT UNDRESSED
Metamucil Ingredients (of the capsules)*: Psyllium Husk, Gelatin, Polysorbate 80, Caramel Color, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake
*Note that there are many different Metamucil products and all of which have a different ingredient list. This is an example of one of the products they offer, ingredients to all of their products can be found on their website.
My biggest concern with this product is the list of artificial colours. Synthetic food colourings are manufactured from petroleum. The main reason these artificial versions are used instead of the natural options is because they are less expensive, more stable, and provide brighter colours. The problem is that there is a lot of concern about their safety. A new report was recently released by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest discussing these safety concerns. For more information on this you can visit their site at cspi.info/fooddyes or click here to be directed to the pdf report.
There is also some concern about Polysorbate 80. Some studies show that it does not cause any harm while others show that it does. I don’t feel that the evidence is conclusive on this issue. To read more information on this ingredient click here to see a report put out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
CONCLUSION
If the psyllium husk is the beneficial fiber, why not just buy that and skip all the other added controversial and potentially harmful ingredients? You can buy psyllium at your local health food store. Other great ways to increase fiber intake which will greatly help with constipation is to include more whole foods in the diet such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
TIP: Although I eat a good clean diet I find that I still need a fiber boost. Although there are a number of great fiber rich foods out there, my personal favourite is ground flax seed. Note that the ground part is KEY! You can grind them with a coffee grinder, blender, or a single serve blender (e.g. Magic Bullet). If you don’t grind them up they will pop out the other end in the same form as when they went in and you won’t receive all the potential fiber benefits. Try adding it to your smoothies, sprinkle it on your cereal, add to veggie dishes, sprinkle on fish/chicken, etc.
Cheers to the many successful bowel movements to come!
