Decreased frequency of bowel movement indicates the problem of constipation. It must not be less than 3 times a week. When you have constipation, you pass hard & dry stools that are small in size. The elimination of such stool becomes difficult. You may often feel pain & strain in such cases.
Calcium and constipation are associated to some extent as excess consumption of calcium leads to constipation. The other causes are as follows:
· Less fiber diet
· Lack of physical activities
· Medications
· Milk
· Ignoring the urge
· Dehydration
· Colon problems
Calcium may cause constipation. So, you must take the following precautions while taking calcium:
· Space out your calcium intake.
· Take some vitamin supplements along with calcium.
· Avoid having calcium carbonate as it reduces the frequency of your bowel movements. Also avoid calcium while having food items containing phosphates, oxalates or phytates.
· It is wise to take it at 2 hours gap from the other drugs.
· The best forms to have are orotate, gluconate or aspartate.
· The food items rich in this mineral are egg yolk, skimmed milk, seeds, nuts, cauliflower, cottage cheese, etc.
Here are few tips to get rid of the constipation caused by the calcium apart from the above mentioned precautions:
· Take magnesium rich food. The list includes berries, nuts, grains, apples, cashews, peas, cabbage, fish, etc.
· Drink plenty of water. Try having a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of honey & a half lemon juice. You may take this in the morning before eating or drinking anything else.
· Have at least 350 grams of grapes everyday.
· Eat bael fruit.
· Chewing a few liquorice sticks every day helps a lot.
· Take brown rice instead of white rice.
· Go for a fiber cereal during morning time.
· Avoid refrigerated, canned, preserved and overcooked food items. Take whole grain food items instead of taking refined starch foods.