4 natural things a 77-year-old does to avoid constipation!

Men over 75 are more likely to suffer from constipation. There are many potential reasons which are listed below. I am pretty fit but recognise the fact that I need to ensure that I don't end up constipated. It is something that one wants to avoid. Here is how I do it.

1. I am as active as possible by e.g. walking in my local park for one hour per day. Good for mental health too. Regular walking helps prevent constipation by stimulating bowel movement and improving gut motility
2. I drink two glasses of water per day to hydrate. The experts want us to drink more than that but I can't. Laxido is a substitute treatment but I prefer entirely natural methods.
3. I eat 1.5 slices (!) of multi-seed wholemeal bread for breakfast with marmalade (Sainsbury's bread). The marmalade is irrelevant. The bread is useful fibre. Why 1.5 slices? Answer: to keep my weight down to the point where my waist is half my height when measured. This promotes good health.
4. Key: I drink a half tumbler of orange juice or other soft, healthy drink with 2 heaped spoonful's of milled Chia seeds daily. These seeds have among the highest level of fibre of all foods I am told. Fibre is essential to good bowel movement. I mix the seeds into the drink. It is not wonderful! But it is palatable and bloody marvellous at ensuring great bowel movements. Alternative: Psyllium husk has the highest fibre content of commonly consumed human foods, at roughly 70–80 percent fibre by weight. Psyllium husks are sold mainly as whole husks, powder (finely ground husk), granules, capsules, and ready-mixed sachets for stirring into water. But psyllium husk is harder to find at supermarkets. Chia can be bought at Sainsbury's in the UK.

Men over the age of 75 are more likely to experience constipation

Men over the age of 75 are more likely to experience constipation, and the reasons are layered rather than mysterious. Ageing changes the body’s rhythms. The digestive tract slows, intestinal muscles lose some of their spring, and the coordinated wave that moves stool along becomes less efficient. What once happened without thought can begin to stall.

Lifestyle factors quietly add weight to the problem. Older men often move less, whether due to joint pain, balance issues, or general fatigue. Physical movement acts like a gentle internal nudge to the bowels, and when that nudge fades, so can regularity. Diet also shifts with age. Appetite may decline, meals become smaller, and fibre intake often drops just when it is needed most.

Medications are another key player. Drugs commonly prescribed in later life, such as opioids, anticholinergics, antidepressants, and some blood pressure medicines, can slow bowel activity. Dehydration is also more common in older men, partly due to a reduced sense of thirst, and dry stools are harder to pass.

Finally, conditions more prevalent after 75, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and prostate enlargement, can interfere with normal bowel function. Constipation in older men is therefore not a single problem, but the result of many small changes accumulating over time, turning a minor inconvenience into a persistent companion.

Note: I live with a cat! Cats want their caregiver to be healthy and functioning satisfactorily even if they don't know it!

Note: the suggestions on this page to avoid constipation are made on the premise that the person has no underlying illness that causes constipation.

-------------

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.