Natural stool softener

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Natural Stool Softeners: Insights from Recent Research

Hydrolyzed Protein Formula with Prebiotics for Infants

Hydrolyzed Protein Formula: A study evaluated the effects of a hydrolyzed protein formula with added prebiotics on stool consistency in infants with hard or infrequent stools. The formula, containing polydextrose and galactooligosaccharides, significantly softened stools and increased stool frequency compared to a control formula. This suggests that hydrolyzed protein formulas with prebiotics can be effective natural stool softeners for infants .

Dioctyl Calcium Sulfosuccinate (DCS) vs. Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate (DSS) in Geriatric Patients

Dioctyl Calcium Sulfosuccinate (DCS): In a study comparing DCS and DSS in geriatric patients, DCS significantly improved stool consistency and increased the number of natural bowel movements by approximately 62% over the placebo period. In contrast, DSS did not show significant improvement over placebo, indicating that DCS may be a more effective stool softener for elderly patients .

Dietary Fiber Mixtures for Pediatric Constipation

Dietary Fiber Mixtures: Research on children with chronic constipation showed that a dietary fiber mixture increased the frequency of defecation and improved stool consistency. Although the fiber mixture did not prevent the need for stool softeners or reduce colonic transit time, it promoted softer stools and more frequent bowel movements, highlighting the benefits of dietary fiber as a natural stool softener for pediatric patients .

Chicory Inulin for Constipation Relief

Chicory Inulin: A study on the effects of chicory-derived inulin in constipated adults found that it significantly increased stool frequency and softened stools. Participants reported higher satisfaction with bowel movements, indicating that chicory inulin can be an effective natural stool softener for adults with constipation .

Polydextrose Supplementation in Adults

Polydextrose: Polydextrose supplementation has been shown to increase fecal bulk, soften stools, and increase the number of defecations. A study demonstrated that a dosage of 12 grams per day of polydextrose significantly improved bowel movement frequency and stool consistency, making it a viable natural stool softener for adults .

High sn-2 Palmitate and Oligofructose in Infant Formulas

High sn-2 Palmitate and Oligofructose: Research on infant formulas containing high sn-2 palmitate and oligofructose showed that these ingredients reduced stool palmitate soaps and total soaps, promoting softer stools. This combination was effective in improving stool consistency and gastrointestinal tolerance in formula-fed infants .

Conclusion

The research highlights several effective natural stool softeners across different age groups. Hydrolyzed protein formulas with prebiotics, dioctyl calcium sulfosuccinate, dietary fiber mixtures, chicory inulin, polydextrose, and high sn-2 palmitate with oligofructose have all shown promising results in softening stools and improving bowel movement frequency. These findings provide valuable insights for managing constipation naturally in infants, children, adults, and the elderly.

Sources and full results

Most relevant research papers on this topic

Softer More Frequent Stools in Infants With Difficult Stooling Fed Hydrolyzed Protein Formula With Added Prebiotics: Randomized Controlled Trial

Infant formula designed to promote stool softening is well-tolerated and associated with softer, more frequent stools in infants with reported hard or infrequent stools.

RCT

2022·

1citation

·Veronica Fabrizio et al.

Treatment of Constipation in Geriatric and Chronically Ill Patients: A Comparison

Dioctyl calcium sulfosuccinate significantly improves constipation symptoms in institutionalized patients, while dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate shows no significant improvement over placebo.

1978·

37citations

·A. Fain et al.

Dietary Fiber Mixture in Pediatric Patients With Controlled Chronic Constipation

The dietary fiber mixture in children with controlled chronic constipation increased defecation frequency and improved stool consistency, but did not prevent stool softener suspension or reduce colonic transit time.

RCTVery Rigorous Journal

2014·

49citations

·T. Weber et al.

Effect of oral dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate on intake-output studies of human small and large intestine.

300 mg/day of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate does not increase ileal or colonic output of solids or water in healthy human subjects.

RCT

1985·

35citations

·R. Chapman et al.

Stool fatty acid soaps, stool consistency and gastrointestinal tolerance in term infants fed infant formulas containing high sn-2 palmitate with or without oligofructose: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial

Feeding infant formula with high sn-2 palmitate and oligofructose reduces stool palmitate soaps, total soaps, and calcium, while promoting softer stools in term infants.

RCTVery Rigorous Journal

2014·

60citations

·J. Nowacki et al.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral docusate in the management of constipation in hospice patients.

Docusate plus sennosides showed no significant benefit in managing constipation in hospice patients, and should be considered on an individual basis.

RCTHighly Cited

2013·

93citations

·Y. Tarumi et al.

Effect of consumption of chicory inulin on bowel function in healthy subjects with constipation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Orafti® Inulin significantly improved bowel function and frequency in healthy volunteers with chronic constipation compared to placebo.

RCTHighly Cited

2017·

101citations

·Antje Micka et al.

Efficacy of Polydextrose Supplementation on Colonic Transit Time, Bowel Movements, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Polydextrose supplementation at 12 g per day for 2 weeks effectively increases bowel movements and improves gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with functional constipation.

RCTVery Rigorous Journal

2019·

13citations

·A. Ibarra et al.

Polydextrose and soluble corn fiber increase five-day fecal wet weight in healthy men and women.

Polydextrose and soluble corn fiber at 20g/d result in a mild laxative effect with minimal gastrointestinal tolerance issues in healthy men and women.

RCTVery Rigorous Journal

2013·

37citations

·D. Timm et al.

Double-blind, randomized trial of a synthetic triacylglycerol in formula-fed term infants: effects on stool biochemistry, stool characteristics, and bone mineralization.

Increasing the proportion of sn-2 palmitate in infant formula leads to higher bone mineral content, softer stools, and more like those of breast-fed infants.

RCTLarge Human TrialHighly Cited

1999·

208citations

·K. Kennedy et al.

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