Did you know constipation is due to more than just a lack of fiber? It certainly is not caused by a lack of Miralax either. One of the key factors in constipation is an imbalance in the gut microbiome.
The gut microbiome is all the microbes that inhibit the gut and is made up of billions of bacteria. An imbalance in the gut microbiome is called intestinal dysbiosis. This means the good bacteria are deficient and some bad bacteria, yeast, parasite, or virus have overgrown and taken control.
This imbalance can and does lead to altered digestive function including constipation. Some of the common causes of this imbalance are too many antibiotics, use of birth control pills, use of steroid medications, having been born via C-section, and in general a poor diet.
The key is to restore balance in the gut microbiome. Before we can do this, we need to figure out what specific imbalances are present. Our next newsletter will discuss how to find the imbalance and get to the bottom of treating constipation.