Constipation, better known as “sembelit” by most Indonesians, is a term used to describe someone’s problem with having a bowel movement. When having constipation, someone will feel so full and feel discomfort around their stomach.

It can happen to anyone, kids or adults, though women and senior citizens are the ones commonly found with the condition. Aside of the discomfort, constipation normaly doesn’t have any other short-term effects. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.

If it isn’t taken care of immediately, it may lead to severer health problems like hemorrhoid and even colon cancer. So before it happens, let’s see what causes it and how to avoid it.

1. Lifestyle

Whatever happens to someone’s health will always have something to do with his or her lifestyle. Having too much or not having enough of something can be a factor of constipation. For example, in some cases constipation happens when someone eats too much meat, slowing down the digestion process. There are people who have problem defecating because they don’t drink enough water or often ignore the urge to go to the bathroom, causing the feces to harden.

2. Medication

Some classes of medicines, including analgesic, antideppresant, antiepileptic and antipsychotic, as well as some types of supplements can also trigger constipation. When having too much iron and calcium supplements, digestion process will slow down and subsequently cause the feces in the colon to lose more and more water.

3. Other Diseases

Some diseases can cause constipation, and they don’t necessarily have to be directly connected to the digestion. Some of the diseases in question are diabetes, which may ruin the nerves in charge of the digestive process, and hypothyroid that obstructs the metabolism process.

4. Pregnancy

Especially in the first months of their pregnancy, expectant moms may over-produce the progesteron hormone, which eventually slows their bowels’ activity and leads to constipation. Nearly all pregnant woman will go through this situation.

Overcoming Constipation

Once you figure out what causes the constipation, it will be easier to deal with it. If it’s caused by the your health conditions, then you will likely be asked to resort to laxative. If it’s caused by the medicines prescribed to you, then things will likely go back to normal once you stop taking them.

You can make some adjustments to your lifestyle too. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day, exercise regularly, and include more fiber to your diets are some adjustments that you can start making now.

Fiber is indeed good for the digestive system. Since it won’t be digested or processed by any enzymes, it would entirely come out of the body along with the feces. You can have enough fiber by routinely consuming fruits, vegetables, wheat, oatmeal and more.

Now meeting your daily fiber needs just gets easier thanks to FiberCreme that you can add to any food or drinks as a healthier alternative to coconut milk. In addition to containing high fiber that will help optimize the digestion, FiberCreme is free of cholesterol, low in fat and gluten-free.

FiberCreme is available in stores and supermarketd across Indonesia in 100 gr sachet, 168 gr bottle and 450 gr box. In response to the high demand, FiberCreme can also be purchased through our online stores on Shopee, Tokopedia, Blibli, Bukalapak dan Kalbestore.