Vitamin C
No, not the musical group.
As usual, I've been severely constipated for some time, not able to pass a bowel movement without the aid of laxatives. But I don't want to take laxatives if I can help it. So lately I've been taking one or two 1,000-mg tabs of vitamin C twice daily, instead. Vitamin C is slightly acidic, and if you take more than your system needs, the excess is shunted to the lower bowel, where it acts as a mild irritant, causing the bowel to empty itself. It thus has effective laxative action. Vitamin C is needed by every cell in the body to power the Krebs Cycle, which underlies cellular metabolism. Unlike most animal life, our bodies don't make vitamin C, so it has to be acquired dietarily or via supplements.
Because I'm very poor, my diet is lousy -- I practically live out of Dollar Tree, not to mention Grocery Outlet -- and highly deficient in C. That I'm now taking two grams of C morning and evening and still having some trouble with constipation speaks volumes about just how deficient in C my intake is. So restoring it via supplements is one of the best things I can do for myself, healthwise. (Plus, vitamin C is a lot less expensive than laxatives, not to mention better for you.) An excellent investment.
As usual, I've been severely constipated for some time, not able to pass a bowel movement without the aid of laxatives. But I don't want to take laxatives if I can help it. So lately I've been taking one or two 1,000-mg tabs of vitamin C twice daily, instead. Vitamin C is slightly acidic, and if you take more than your system needs, the excess is shunted to the lower bowel, where it acts as a mild irritant, causing the bowel to empty itself. It thus has effective laxative action. Vitamin C is needed by every cell in the body to power the Krebs Cycle, which underlies cellular metabolism. Unlike most animal life, our bodies don't make vitamin C, so it has to be acquired dietarily or via supplements.
Because I'm very poor, my diet is lousy -- I practically live out of Dollar Tree, not to mention Grocery Outlet -- and highly deficient in C. That I'm now taking two grams of C morning and evening and still having some trouble with constipation speaks volumes about just how deficient in C my intake is. So restoring it via supplements is one of the best things I can do for myself, healthwise. (Plus, vitamin C is a lot less expensive than laxatives, not to mention better for you.) An excellent investment.