GUT health
💩1 Mineral To Achieve Poop Perfection
When it comes to improving stool consistency and frequency, we all know the gold-standard advice is “drink more water”.
But what if what was in that water made more difference than the amount of water itself?
A recently-published study (PMID: 42286933) put that question to the test by randomly assigning participants to drink 1 liter of either regular “soft” water or magnesium-rich water (252mg/L) for two weeks.
Participants recorded:-
1️⃣ number of bowel movements
2️⃣ the consistency of their stools as measured by their Bristol Stool Chart scores compared to baseline
3️⃣ and their subjective improvement of bowel symptoms
No other restrictions were placed on the participants and they were told to eat their normal diet.
The results?
Here’s just one of the graphs from the paper showing the increase in the number of spontaneous bowel movements for participants drinking magnesium-rich water (dotted line) versus soft water (black line).
The graph showing the difference in consistency is almost identical.
All from 252mg of Magnesium, nothing else.
Magnesium oxide is sometimes prescribed as a laxative, but at much higher levels than this. This study suggests far lower levels could make a difference. How?
Magnesium is known to increase the amount of water retained inside the intestinal lumen (the interior of the intestines), so that might be one way this works.
As it happens, observational research has previously found lower incidence of constipation in hard-water areas although this could also be explained by diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors.
It’s true that this study had a very small sample (n = 40) and didn’t track the participants’ fiber or caloric consumption, both of which could explain any differences in bowel movements or stool consistency. It’s also worth noting these 40 people were all healthy, so this advice might not apply to anyone suffering symptoms of IBS or other gut issues.
Here's how to stack the odds in favour of smoother, more predictable bowel movements:-
- Dietary adjustments are still the biggest lever to pull:- eat more fruit, veg, whole grains, legumes and yes, drink more water, use tactical fiber supplements like LOAM if needed
- Regular physical activity keeps you regular - no need to hit the gym, just try walking more.
- The gut loves predictability. Eating meals at the same time, even at weekends, will keep the poop train running.
- If you’ve tried all of the above and still feel like you're passing bullets, it might be worth trying a Magnesium supplement; but if you do, track your bowel habits so you can see if it makes a difference.
GENERAL HEALTH
😉30g Of Fiber Is Simple When You Know This
30g of fiber per day isn't any kind of magical threshold.
It’s a significant increase on the 18-20g the average Brit eats each day, but still manageable for most people.
And when you remember the benefits of eating more fiber (30g+) are numerous - feeding the gut microbiome ➡️ SCFA; improved blood glucose control; lower cholesterol; increased feelings of satiety - it pays to know how and where to get your fiber from.
Here’s where fiber efficiency comes in useful.
Fiber efficiency just means how much of a food you need to eat in order to consume 5g of fiber. The lower total amount of food you need to eat, the more fiber efficient the food is.
So, for 5 food groups, here are three example foods of high, medium and low fiber efficiency.
First of all, this is a brilliant fiber bingo-card to cross off. How many of these foods have you (and I) eaten in the last week?
Second, isn’t it shocking that you can get the same amount of fiber in 283g of cabbage in one just tablespoon of chia seeds! Which one are you going to add to your overnight oats?
My advice?
1️⃣ If you’d like to increase your daily consumption of fiber, choose one of these foods to add to your current diet. That’s 5g extra fiber. Done.
2️⃣ Choose another to swap for something lower in fiber e.g. switch from white rice to brown: replace half the minced beef in any recipe for the same amount of lentils, swap your couscous for quinoa.
3️⃣ Congratulations. You have now increased your daily fiber intake by 10g.
Don’t forget LOAM is possibly the most fiber-efficient supplement around - 10g of fiber in a single serving that dissolves into any food or drink without trace. It also has 2 clinical trials supporting its efficacy, which is more than any dodgy knock-off can claim.
Of course, you could always eat 2 kilos of cucumber.
REFLECTIONS
🐢Become Impossible To Rush
On the 27th January 1986, engineers from Morton Thiokol had a lengthy teleconference with NASA administrators about the space shuttle launch that was planned for the following day.
The engineers were worried a crucial component might fail in the extremely cold temperatures forecast for the next day…but crucially, couldn’t prove their suspicions.
NASA on the other hand were impatient to launch. There had been several launch delays prior to the meeting and this mission was special because school teacher Christa McAuliffe was on board. School children across America would be watching the launch.
Despite Morton Thiokol’s recommendation to cancel the launch, NASA went ahead and the following day, space shuttle Challenger took off at 11:38am.
Within seconds, puffs of smoke were seen escaping a faulty joint on one of the solid rocket boosters.
Less than a minute later, flames were visible.
13 seconds later, Challenger disintegrated.
I’ve come to realise that being impossible to rush is a major cheat code for life.
The world will pressure you to rush into everything. Sign-up for this subscription, meet that deadline, make the decision!
Instead, slow down.
Create the time and space you need to think clearly. And if doing so ever feels uncomfortable, ask yourself what you might be afraid of finding in the silence.
I’m sometimes asked how I achieve so much:- writing books, content creation, running a company, and paradoxically, it’s only by slowing down and focusing on the things that really matter that I’m able to get so much done.
👋 Who are you again? I’m Karan Rajan - a doctor and curious explorer of all things health and wellness. I'm the founder of LOAM Science, a microbiome company aiming to create the best fiber product in the world! I host the Dr Karan Explores Podcast, where I talk to experts in science and medicine to cut through the BS of modern health advice. If you'd like an easy way to dig through the archive, you can ask me any questions about the podcast and talk to my digital librarian here. I've also written two books "This Book May Save Your Life" and "This Is Vital Information". I'm the Chief of Science of Throne, a smart gut health tracking device.
If you feel strongly about some health things or just want to say hi? Hit reply... I’d love to hear it and hear from you! (yes I read every reply!!!)
