If you have ever been constipated, you understand the unpleasantness of having too few and irregular bowel movements. Sluggishness, bloating, fullness, and poor mood are all notable features of constipation.
Of course, there are many potential root causes of constipation, including too little fiber in the diet, eating fatty foods, lack of physical activity, and some medications. However, one nutrient that is often overlooked when it comes to bowel irregularity is sodium.
Sodium is necessary for many bodily functions, including electrolyte and fluid balance, muscle contraction, and nerve impulses. However, too much salt in the diet can cause a shift in fluids from the gut into the bloodstream. In some cases, this shift can draw water out of the colon, resulting in dry stools that are hard to pass.
This problem can occur for people who regularly consume an excessive amount of sodium in their diet or for somebody who has a few high salt meals relative to their typical sodium intake (i.e., eating out on vacations, celebrations, and special events with salty foods).
What’s more, salty foods typically go hand-in-hand with foods higher in fat (think, potato chips, pizza, pork sausage). Fat has a tendency to slow down movement in the GI tract, contributing to fewer bowel movements. Notably, these foods also tend to lack fiber, a nutrient key to maintaining bowel regularity.
Intuitively, constipation can typically be resolved by making some simple dietary changes. If you suspect sodium to be the culprit, following a low-salt diet for a few days, drinking plenty of water, and incorporating some physical activity can be quite effective in restoring bowel regularity. A diet full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and plant proteins is an excellent preventative measure for constipation. This dietary pattern is naturally low in sodium and helps maintain an appropriate fluid balance in the gut to promote regular bowel movements.
Working with a dietitian is a great way to manage GI issues like constipation. If you would like to work with me, click the link to schedule a FREE discovery call!
I couldn’t disagree more with your suggestion that a high salt diet results in dehydrated stools.
We are salt plus water beings.
Salt being the sponge that holds water where ever it is needed.
For example: the liver produces bile salts which are largely comprised of water. There needs to be salt present first to hold the bile water.
Stomach acid requires the salt’s Cl to make HCl and digest food. If there is insufficient stomach acid the food ferments in the intestines and the fermentation gases push open the stomach valves causing heartburn.
The bile salts are reabsorbed from the intestines to be reused. The bile salts are mostly water. If there is insufficient salt there will be insufficient bile salts and less water to maintain stool hydration.
And I could go on and on.
The low salt diet should have a big BLACK BOX warning because hyponatremia will kill.
Dehydration or hyponatremia is the same state. It is an emergency state and the adrenals are activated to prevent death.
Chronic dehydration results in either adrenal fatigue or adrenal growth to supply constant need for the emergency hormones.
I have an article that outlines the role of salt in lung physiology titled:
We breathe air not oxygen
I explain why I had to review what I knew about hydration.