Just read an article recently that discussed the recent marketing of laxatives to a young demographic due to the “clogging” properties of a low carb diet. Traditionally, laxatives have been marketed to seniors.
So, it got me thinking: why do seniors specifically have a problem with regularity? Are there actual physical changes that occur with age that cause the bowels to move more slowly? Or do seniors tend to eat a less fiberous diet? (which I don’t think is the reason, most of my older relatives insist on a vegetable with each meal, unlike most of my generation) Does lack of physical activity cause irregularity?
As you get older, your whole metabolism tends to slow down, and things simply don’t work quite as efficiently as they used to, not only your digestive tract, but also things like your blood circulation, muscles, etc.
And, by the time you get to be a Senior, you’ve sometimes discovered that certain foods, like cabbage and beans, invariably give you “gas” (flatulence), even worse than they do to Young Folks, given that your digestive tract is losing efficiency, and after 30 years of coping with increasingly horrendous gas every time you eat coleslaw and baked beans, you finally decide it’s not worth the hassle, and you begin to avoid these foods like the plague. Unfortunately, these are the very foods that help avoid constipation.
Also, a side effect of some medications is that it “binds you up”, and since seniors are statistically more likely to be on medications, that means that seniors are statistically more likely to be constipated.
Yes, it does. Combined with the dietary factors DDG mentions, the sedentary lifestyle of the typical senior can cause real problems with constipation.
I’m 66 years of age and have had gas all my life. Nothing new there. I haven’t noticed any problems with regularity. In fact, I have several BMs a day. I did have BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia - enlarged prostate) which did cause some voiding problems, and this is very common in older men, but I had laser surgery to correct that. I still take Flomax, but that’s the only medicine I take. (Flomax is for those with enlarged prostates.)
I don’t think it’s age, * per se * that causes any problems, but the lack of exercise. I still exercise almost as much as I did 10-20 years ago, but still engage in much exercise (swimming, running, biking, weights, and will return to tennis once my Achilles’ tendon heals to that point).
I think age is blamed for many ills, but it’s not age * per se * that is the problem. It’s just that when you are younger, lack of exercise and a bad diet does not manifest itself as much since, for one reason, your body is more resilient.