Fermented food - making constipation worse???

I bought some fermented sauerkraut and ate it 4 nights in a row. I decided to try it since the expensive probiotics I've been taking for 2 years seems to have no affect on my IBS-C.

Well, since eating fermented food, the constipation got much worse and would not respond to increases in my already huge doses of Natural Calm mag citrate. It was evident from the appearance of the stool that there was inflammation somewhere in the intestines, although I had no abdominal pain. Last night, I skipped the fermented food, and this morning, I had the most normal looking bowel movement I've had in a while and no undue straining.

Can anyone explain why fermented food would make constipation and inflammation worse?

I had a similar, but worse, experience when I took Great Lakes gelatin for 3 days back in June.

Is there a connection between the two? Any insight would be appreciated.

Hoagie said...
That's strange as sauerkraut is supposed to relieve constipation. Not really sure what is going on there.

Any other diet changes or foods you have been eating in the same time period?

Are you taking Glutamine?

No other diet changes.

Yes, I take l-glutamine.

I do a lot of fermented foods. I even have fermented granola. I have never had a problem.

It is fall and we tend to be less thirsty this time of year and one less glass of water a day can make a huge difference in bowel movements.

I'm not saying this is your problem, but the slightest change can cause a difference. Also mental attitude can cause a change. If I get stressed, oh my gosh, I can get loose stools so easy.

Also consider histamine intolerance. It can play a major role in the gut and certain foods have high histamine content (like fermented foods). For fun, try taking an antihistamine for a few days to see if you have any relief, in addition to avoiding high histamine foods.

It could be several things causing your issues, but Fronton may be correct.

A very plausible cause is that the fermented food has enough probiotics to increase your bacterial counts to where they are supposed to be. Good bacteria like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium produce substances that act as antibiotics in our GI tract. You have heard that 75 to 80% of our immune response is in our GI tract, that is why. They kill off or reduce the levels of unwanted bacteria and yeasts. What may be happening to you is the increase in bacteria is killing so many unwanted pathogens that the water balance in the colon is altered.

Looking at the chemistry behind water utilization and hydrolysis in the colon, you can see that most gram positive bacteria have few nitrogen and sulfur atoms in their cellular structure. Gram negative bacteria, on the other hand, have higher levels of nitrogen and amino acids in there cellular structure. As those gram negative bacteria break down, they require a water molecule to complete the nitrogen fixation. Sulfur reduction does not require water but the KEGG pathway that reduces sulfur utilizes many amino acids that do require water for elimination. This makes it very plausible that the levels of gram negative bacteria in your colon are too high. It just so happens that these bacteria utilize the nitrogen and sulfur that we eat as energy sources. Reducing foods high in nitrogen and sulfur is a plausible way to reduce their numbers. This is one reason why I feel a plant based diet is most beneficial for many of us. I feel that animal protein should only be eaten once or twice a week (depending on activity and exercise levels.)