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1. Constipation and bloating
2. IBS Constipation
3. Health Assessment
4. High Fibre Diet Planner
5. Reasons to Treat Constipation
6. Digestive System Animations
7. Constipation Symptoms
8. Constipation during Pregnancy
9. What to expect from a treatment
10. Treatment Advisor

The importance of fibre and fluids - by Dr Mark Porter

Dietary fibre - indigestible plant matter from fruit, veg and cereals - is vital for normal bowel function. Fibre encourages the growth of healthy bacteria, adds bulk to the bowel contents, and retains water, and lack of it is the biggest single cause of constipation in the UK.

Food shouldn't take any more than 48 hours to travel the whole length of the gut, but it can take 70 hours or more in people on a typical British low fibre diet. Little wonder constipation is so common in this country.

Ideally everyone should aim to eat one fibre rich food at every meal but most of us don't - the average British adult eats just 12g of fibre a day, just over two thirds of the recommended minimum and a third of the amount most doctors advise to ensure the bowel works at peak efficiency. And children, particularly younger ones, tend to fare even worse.

Busy parents having to balance work and family life don't always have the time to prepare healthy high fibre meals, either for themselves or their children - and, let's be honest, given the choice most kids aren't too worried if they miss out on their daily portions of fruit and veg!

But incorporating high fibre foods (see chart below) into the family diet isn't as hard as most people think - baked beans and jacket potatoes are excellent sources of fibre and popular with most children. Bread is another good source - ideally we should all be eating wholemeal but if you prefer the taste and texture of white bread, as most families do, then you could try the newer fibre enriched multigrain brands that offer the best of both worlds.

Last, but not least, don't forget about fluid intake, particularly during the warm summer months when we all need to drink more to make up for the extra we lose through sweat. If you don't take in enough fluid the body will go into conservation mode and remove as much water as possible from the contents of the bowel to compensate, making the stool drier, harder and more difficult to pass.

Try and drink at least 2 litres of fluid a day. It doesn't have to be water - juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee all count. Use the colour of your urine as a rough guide - it should be pale straw coloured, any darker and you need to drink more.

Find out more about your digestive system in our FREE leaflet - The Digestive Fitness Guide »

Click here to read Dr. Mark Porter's article on 'Asking for help with constipation - getting over the embarrassment factor' »

• View interactive animations of how the digestive system works
• Find out what the symptoms of constipation are
• Click here to use our treatment advisor to help find an appropriate treatment