Can Intermittent Fasting Make You Constipated?
Intermittent fasting (IF) can bring about a ton of changes to your body and health, from weight loss to better sleep. But no one really warns you about poop problems, like constipation. Yep, in some cases intermittent fasting can totally throw your bowel movements out of whack.
Constipation isn’t the only possible side effect of intermittent fasting. Others have also claimed they’ve experienced the opposite issue, like diarrhea, in some cases.
Don’t fret if poop probs happen to you, though. There’s a totally valid reason for changes to your bowel movements when you start IF, says Cynthia Quainoo, MD, a gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Associates of Brooklyn. “Stool consistency and frequency of bowel movements are directly related to what you put in your mouth, or what you don’t put in your mouth,” she explains.
“Changes in diet very easily can cause changes in bowel movements,” notes Dr. Quainoo. “With regard to intermittent fasting, people may suffer from constipation as a result of dehydration and poor dietary fiber intake.”
Excerpted from Women’s Health
