Soften your stools

ACCORDING to the American Journal of Gastroenterology, irregular bowel movement or constipation affects nearly a quarter of the world population.

Constipation is difficulty emptying one's bowels, usually associated with hard faeces. It is generally described as having three or fewer bowel movements per week.

A diet low in fibre but high in red meat, colon inflammation triggered by bacterial infection, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse and chronic laxative use are common causes of poor gut health.

Most individuals resort to laxatives as a quick fix for constipation.

However, long-term use of laxatives often results in decreased bowel function or lazy bowel syndrome and may lead to laxative dependency.

Therefore, prolonged laxative use is discouraged and should be replaced by natural food remedies that combine dietary fibres and probiotics for the restoration of good gut health.

In a 2008 study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, the use of oat bran fibre among seniors in a 12-week intervention treatment in a geriatric hospital was shown to allow discontinuation of laxatives

by 59% while improving their body weight and well-being.

Another study published in the Microorganisms journal in 2014 shows that Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 probiotic strain increases bowel movement and softens hard faeces in healthy adults.

On the other hand, according to the World Applied Sciences Journal, people with constipation have lower levels of Bifidobacteria in the large intestine.

The level of good bacteria in the gut also decreases with ageing, making dietary supplementation of

probiotics essential to ensure optimal gut function.

Manage bowel movement naturally

Biogrow ProGut is made from all-natural Swedish oat fibre formulated with dual action from the well-researched Oat BG22 fibre powder and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 probiotic strain from Denmark – a strain of Bifidobacterium with more than 300 scientific publications and over 130 clinical studies carried out on it.

One sachet daily provides a synergistic effect for improved intestinal function and a balanced

gut microbiota.

To consume, mix one sachet (≈ 7g) with cold water, fruit juice, cereal or yoghurt. One or two sachets a day after meal or whenever convenient is recommended.

Each sachet contains 2.4g soluble and insoluble fibres with one billion colony-forming units (CFU) of live probiotic cultures.

The dose of one billion CFU of BB-12 has been clinically tested and shown to have benefits on defecation and bowel frequency, according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2015.

Real-time stability report shows that the Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 probiotic strain in Oat BG22

fibre powder is stable throughout the 24-month shelf life under normal room storage conditions.

Biogrow ProGut is suitable for individuals who wish to maintain or improve gut health as it offers a natural way to manage bowel movement with fibre and probiotics.

It contains no added sugar or artificial ingredients and is high in protein, iron, magnesium and zinc. It is available in all pharmacies nationwide.

This article is brought to you by Legosan (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

■ For more information, call 03-7956 2220 (9am-5pm) or e-mail info@biogrow.com.my

"A diet low in fibre but high in red meat, colon inflammation triggered by bacterial infection, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse and chronic laxative use are common causes of poor gut health."