Best Supplement For Regular Bowel Movement

No one likes feeling clogged up. Constipation is not for the weak-hearted. Unfortunately, chronic constipation can be more than uncomfortable, it can negatively affect your gut health. If you’ve been struggling with getting things moving in your gut, you might want to consider a supplement to help you get regular. But how do you know which ones are best? Let’s take a look at the best supplement for regular bowel movement.

Supplement For Regular Bowel

There are numerous supplements on the market aimed at helping improve gut regularity because no one wants to struggle to poop. Below are some of the best options for helping to move your bowels and get your digestive health back on track.

Fiber

Most of us are familiar with fiber. We know and love her, but we don’t always get enough of her. But did you know there are two different types of fiber and which one we choose affects our bowel movements?

Fibers are indigestible plant compounds that perform different essential functions for our gut. They come in two forms, soluble and insoluble, depending on their sources. Most foods contain both in differing amounts.

It is recommended to consume a mixture of both types of fibers each day to get the most benefit from these healthy, non-nutritive compounds. The recommended daily fiber intake is between 25-38 grams per day (28g for women, 38 grams for men) of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

If choosing a fiber supplement, be sure to look at the dose as some fiber supplements require you to take them multiple times a day or may include only a small portion of fiber per serving.

Additionally, certain fibers act as prebiotics which are also important fibers to consider for gut health and regularity as these help our good gut bacteria thrive. Let’s look at the differences between these below.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber dissolves in water, creating a gel-like consistency in your gut to help slow down transit time and increase stool bulk. Soluble fiber can help treat gastrointestinal challenges such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome symptoms however, we also need it for bowel regularity.

Soluble fiber provides many health benefits aside from just improving your gut, it can also help to improve cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. This is because soluble fiber helps to bind to cholesterol to remove it from your body through your waste. (Source)

Additionally, soluble fiber can help improve blood sugar levels making it a great focus for those with type 2 diabetes. Soluble fibers slow digestion, which can prevent glucose spikes and allow for more controlled blood sugar levels following a meal. (Source)

Because of its gel-like consistency, soluble fiber is associated with increased satiety during meals which can reduce overeating and promote a healthy weight. You can find soluble fiber in many vegetables and fruits, including Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, and avocados, as well as some grains, seeds, and legumes.

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber acts opposite to soluble fiber. Instead of slowing down transit time, it adds bulk to the stool to help clear a path for things to move more quickly.

Insoluble fiber can help treat constipation symptoms and aid in more regular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber can be found in foods such as whole grains, beans, and root vegetables. (Source)  

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are specific types of insoluble fibers that provide nutrients to our healthy gut microbes and allow them to flourish.

These microbes are essential for many aspects of our health and well-being as well as many vital bodily functions. Some examples of prebiotic sources include apples, oats, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, bananas, and Jerusalem artichokes. (Source)

Probiotics

Probiotics are another popular supplement for bowel health and for good reason. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when consumed, provide benefits to the body.

Recent research has found probiotics to affect multiple aspects of our health. Probiotics play a role not only in the health of our gut but also in our immune system, which resides mostly within our gut. Probiotics can be found in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, and more. (Source) 

Research suggests that probiotics may be helpful in bowel regularity by providing relief for common gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) specifically certain strains such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. (Source)

If choosing a probiotic supplement for bowel regularity, it’s important to choose a product that provides a good source of probiotics. Unfortunately, this is not true of all probiotic products.

Look for a supplement that includes colony-forming units (CFUs) in the billions, this ensures you are getting an adequate dose of probiotics to reap the benefits. 

Also look for products that contain live bacteria, sometimes called “live cultures” and pay close attention to the storage recommendations. Probiotics can be fragile and perish easily if stored improperly and may not provide the benefits you are looking for.

Synbiotics

While probiotic and prebiotic supplements are quite popular, synbiotics are relatively new to the health and wellness field. Synbiotics is a term for the mixture of both probiotics and prebiotics that are formulated to boost the effectiveness of both. (Source)

It’s important to note that synbiotics are not just a combination of probiotics mixed with prebiotics. There is a vast array of probiotic strains and prebiotic sources.

Taking a prebiotic supplement and combining it with a probiotic supplement will not equal a synbiotic but instead, these products need to be formulated to ensure there is a positive interaction between the two that provides health benefits when taken.

For example, Synbio Tonik from Human Tonik contains 5 grams of fiber and 5 billion CFU of proven bacteria strains for improving digestive health and the gut microbiome. This combination has been tested to provide benefits when combined and allows you to get the most out of your prebiotic and probiotic.

It also comes with a good source of fiber which can provide further benefits for bowel regularity. This is a great supplement option to help with your digestion and keep things moving as they should.

Vitamin And Mineral Supplements

You might be surprised to see vitamin and mineral supplements on the list. While there aren’t any specific vitamins that make you poop, taking supplements that contain vitamin C, magnesium, or vitamin B12 may be able to help with regular bowel movements.

However, research is limited on these. For example, some believe vitamin C can help pull water into your intestines to soften your stools, but no research is available to support this theory.

Additionally, a vitamin B12 deficiency can result in constipation symptoms therefore taking a B12 supplement is believed to help but only in this population. While neither of the vitamins on this list has adequate research to back up their use for the average person, they are not harmful to take.

Magnesium supplements, however, do have more research to support their use in regular bowel movements. Magnesium can sometimes have a laxative-like effect as it helps to increase water in the bowel for improved motility and softer stools, specifically magnesium citrate or oxide. (Source)

What To Look For In Your Supplement

If you do decide to take a supplement for regular bowel movements, be sure to choose your supplements wisely. Instead of opting for a quick fix such as a laxative or stool softener, choose something that will provide long-lasting benefits.

Choose products from trusted brands that offer third-party testing for quality and purity. Avoid products that use proprietary blends as they do not disclose the amounts of each ingredient in their blends and this limits transparency.

Lastly, be sure to discuss with your doctor before incorporating a supplement into your routine, especially if you are taking any medications for a chronic condition or have a compromised immune system that may result in negative interactions.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for the best supplement for regular bowel movements, fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics are going to give you the most bang for your buck. Not only are these the best supplements to stay regular, but they also come with many other potential health benefits.

If you need supplements that help you poop, don’t just grab any item on the shelf. Look for high-quality products that are going to do the trick and then some, such as Synbio Tonik, which includes fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics.