Rise in Cases of Bowel Disease: 5 Diet Tips to Improve Your Bowel Movements

A new study, published in the renowned journal Lancet, predicts that developing countries may have to grapple with the rising cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) just as the western world has been. Scientists warn that the increased industrialization in developing countries could be partly blamed for the rise in the incidence of bowel disease. 

According to Gilaad Kaplan, Associate Professor at Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary in Canada, “Over the past 100 years, the incidence of IBD in western countries has climbed and then plateaued. Our research shows that countries outside the western world now appear to be in the first stage of this sequence.”

IBD is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the principal types of this condition. For the study, researchers studied observational, population-based studies reporting the incidence or prevalence of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis from 1990 or later.They found that since 1990, incidence of IBD has been rising in newly industrialised countries in Asia, Africa, and South America.

You are what you eat and your diet can play an important role in regulating your bowel movements and thus, reducing the risk of bowel disease. Here are five diet tips to keep in mind.

1. The best foods to eat for healthy bowel movements are those that are high in fiber. Fiber rich foods can speed up transit time and draw water into your colon making it easier for the stools to pass.

2. Fruits and vegetables like papaya, orange, beans, and asparagus are good and ease the movement in the bowel.

3. You must also drink a glass of warm lemon water daily early morning to cleanse your stomach.

4. Use spices like carom seeds, cumin and black pepper in your meals to facilitate excretion of wastes.

5. Having soaked fenugreek seeds or soaked green grams every morning is also a great Ayurvedic remedy for all your tummy problems.