Finnish researchers have uncovered grandpa’s secret: Turns out that rye bread is nature’s great answer to constipation.
Writing in the Journal of Nutrition, the scientists found that rye is not only more effective than laxative medications, it also makes the gut healthier.
Rye is rich in a compound called arabinoxylan, a favorite food of healthy bacteria in the colon. The bacteria ferment the compound to create short-chain fatty acids, which make the colon more acid, less friendly to pathogens and more active in moving wastes out.
Constipation affects an estimated 27 percent of people in Western countries. Turns out grandpa had it right.
Photo by Jonathan Pielmayer on Unsplash.
