Let’s talk for a minute about what it means to be ‘regular’. It’s a phrase thrown around a lot when people are talking about their digestive system, but what does it really mean? Is there a standard for regularity, and what can you do to improve your digestion if you or anyone in your family struggles with regularity?
Today we’ll talk about what regularity means, and ways to improve or maintain your digestive health. This can include eating the right foods, making lifestyle changes, and finding the best probiotic for regularity.
Defining Regularity
Most adults have a general sense of when they’re regular and when they’re not. But the actual definition is more difficult, and there is not even an exact agreement among health professionals. What are you aiming for in terms of optimized digestion?
Some people think that being regular means having one bowel movement every day. However, that is a limited definition, and healthcare professionals say that people can be regular with a few bowel movements a week, or a few every day.
Being regular generally includes having well-formed stools that are easy to pass. Although it is tricky to give rules for what ‘being regular’ means, there are some factors that can mean you are not regular. These include:
- Having 2 or fewer bowel movements per week
- Hard, lumpy stool that is uncomfortable to pass
- Straining to have a bowel movement
- Loose, watery stool
- More frequent bowel movements than your ‘normal’
Problems with Irregularity
Other than being uncomfortable, is there any reason that being irregular may be a problem? Yes. An unhealthy digestive system can be both a sign and a cause of other negative health issues. For example, irregularity may be linked with:
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids can be quite painful and can cause blood in your stool. Irregularity, specifically constipation, can lead to hemorrhoids. These enlarged blood vessels may be very difficult to get rid of because straining to have a bowel movement can make them worse. Additionally, passing overly large or hard stools can aggravate hemorrhoids further. By keeping regular, you can lower your chances of having uncomfortable hemorrhoids, and increase your chances of getting rid of any hemorrhoids more quickly.
Insufficient Digestion
When we eat healthy foods like protein, veggies, and whole grains, we expect that our bodies are getting the benefit of those foods. But did you know that even when you eat a great diet, you may not be getting what you need from those foods? If your body cannot digest the foods you eat properly, you actually could be missing out on plenty of nutrients. Irregularity can be linked to the body’s inability to digest dairy, protein, and carbohydrates. Becoming more regular may increase your chances of benefiting from the healthy foods you choose to eat.
Trouble with Weight Management
Insufficient digestion may make it harder for you to achieve your weight goals - whether that involves gaining or losing weight. If you do not know how well your body is processing the foods you eat, it is harder to get the right nutrients for the best diet. You may also feel sluggish and less motivated to be active if you are uncomfortable because of irregularity.
Tips for Improving Regularity
There is no guaranteed way to prevent constipation or diarrhea, but there are lifestyle choices that can lower your risks of irregularity. These include:
- Staying well-hydrated, especially by drinking water
- Avoiding an abundance of alcohol or caffeine
- Staying active (even going for walks can notably improve regularity)
- Limiting fried or overly processed foods
- Eating enough fiber
- When you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, do not delay. That can lead to constipation
- Try to limit your stress level, since high stress can have a negative effect on regularity
Beyond these lifestyle tips, the best probiotic for regularity can help optimize your digestion and elimination of waste products.
Best probiotic for regularity if customization is your priority
There are several probiotics from Natren that are outstanding choices if you’re looking to optimize your digestion. While some of our customers want the ‘easy button’ on taking probiotics, some prefer a system where they have more ability to customize what they’re taking.
This allows you to try out different combinations of probiotics to see what works best for you. If this sounds like the right fit for you, then your best probiotic for regularity is Natren’s Healthy Start System.
Healthy Start System includes:
-
Megadophilus® which provides Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 (if you prefer a dairy-based product) or NAS super strain (if you prefer a dairy-free vegan/vegetarian option)
-
Bifido Factor® which gives you Bifidobacterium bifidum Malyoth super strain, 2 billion cfu per capsule. This is a strain of good bacteria that benefits the large intestine in particular.
-
Digesta-Lac® which provides Lactobacillus bulgaricus LB-51 champion transient super strain, 2 billion cfu per capsule, and acts through the entire GI tract.
Best probiotic for regularity if convenience is your priority
This pick is one of our most popular products and is the best probiotic for regularity if what you really want is something easy and convenient. Healthy Trinity is your answer because it combines the good bacteria from 3 of our top probiotics into one easy to take system.
Healthy Trinity includes the same good bacteria strains as the Healthy Start System, but in a single capsule that allows you to quickly and easily take your daily probiotics. With Healthy Trinity, we’ve taken the guesswork out of taking probiotics by giving you a comprehensive product that our founder and team have come up with based on more than 40 years of extensive experience with probiotics.
Both Healthy Trinity and the Healthy Start System are able to support the function of your colon, the ability to digest carbohydrates and protein, assisting with lactose metabolism, and the production of B vitamins.
Improving your regularity can not only make you feel better and more energetic, but it can have a positive effect on your health. When your digestion is working at its best, you can absorb the right nutrients from the healthy food you’re eating. In turn, good digestion can help with a strong immune system, which is so important today. Visit natren.com to learn more about our top-quality probiotics.
