How to Treat Slow Gut Motility - Foods, Exercises, and Medications

What Is Slow Gut Motility?

How does the food you eat move from the oesophagus to the stomach, then to the intestines, and finally get eliminated? This happens because of muscle contractions called peristalsis, which push the food forward through your gut.

Slow gut motility, also called lazy bowel syndrome and sluggish bowel, refers to a slower movement or weaker contraction of the digestive muscles that transport food and waste through the gastrointestinal system.

Common Causes of Slow Gut Motility

Every time you eat, the nerves that supply the gut (enteric nervous system) cause the muscles lining your gut to contract, pushing the ingested food forward. These contractions can become weaker or slow due to the following reasons:

• A low-fibre diet.
• A sedentary lifestyle with very little to no physical activity.
• Inadequate intake of fluids, resulting in dehydration.
• Certain medications, like opioids or anticholinergics, slow down muscle movements in the gut.
• Stress and anxiety may cause reduced blood flow to the gut or cause inflammation, which slows down peristalsis.
• Long-term dependence on laxatives.
• Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia.
• Health issues like hypothyroidism, diabetes, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Symptoms of Slow Gut Motility

• Infrequent bowel movements (fewer than three bowel movements per week).
• Constipation and straining to pass stools.
• Abdominal bloating and discomfort.
• Hard or lumpy stools.
• Diarrhoea, as a result of bacterial overgrowth in the intestine.
• Nausea and vomiting.

Foods That Improve Gut Motility

Good food means good health. To maintain a healthy gut, you need to maintain a balanced diet and limit the intake of refined and processed foods, as they provide little to no nutritional value. Let us look at some foods for constipation relief and to improve gut motility.

1. High-Fibre Foods

Dietary fibre adds bulk to stool, making it easier to pass, and reduces the risk of constipation. 

Insoluble fibres (found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables like broccoli, celery, and spinach) that don’t dissolve in water and pass through your digestive tract, mostly intact, and add bulk to stools.

Soluble fibres (found in foods like oats, apples, bananas, and legumes) absorb water and form a gel-like substance that softens the stools.

2. Hydrating Foods and Fluids

Drinking adequate quantities of fluids can prevent dehydration, soften the stools, and lubricate the digestive tract, allowing a smoother passage of waste through your intestines. 

You can munch on water-rich fruits and veggies like watermelon and cucumber. 

You can also enjoy coconut water or take oral rehydration solutions, which provide hydration and essential electrolytes. 

Limit the intake of alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, as they can lead to dehydration.

3. Fermented Foods

Fermented foods contain live microbes called probiotics, which are beneficial for your body when consumed. These good microbes help balance your gut microbiome, support digestion, and improve motility. 

Some probiotic-rich foods you can add to your diet are yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso.

4. Magnesium-Rich Foods

A study showed that oral administration of magnesium sulphate causes a release of cholecystokinin (a hormone that helps digest fats and proteins) from the inner lining of the small intestine, which stimulates bowel motility. 

To relieve constipation caused by slow gut motility, you can include magnesium-rich foods like soy products, legumes, seeds, brown rice, bananas, leafy greens, and avocados.

5. Healthy Fats

Healthy fats in your diet can soften stools and stimulate the release of bile from the gallbladder and cholecystokinin from the small intestine, which promotes digestion and gut motility. Examples of foods containing healthy fats are fatty fish, nuts and seeds, egg yolk, avocados, and olive oil.

6. Prunes and High-Sorbitol Foods

Studies on the effect of prunes (dried plums) on stool output found that prunes significantly increase stool weight and frequency in healthy individuals with infrequent stool habits and low fibre intake.

Sorbitol, a sugar alcohol found in some fruits such as apples, apricots, and pears, has the ability to hold water, make the stools soft, and act as a natural laxative.

Exercises to Stimulate Gut Motility

Aerobic exercises like brisk walking, swimming, cycling, jogging, and so on can significantly improve your gut health. How much exercise do you need to stay healthy? Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.

Some exercises for gut health that can increase gut motility and relieve constipation are:

1. Walking

A 20-30-minute brisk walk can give you several health benefits, such as promoting a healthy body weight and stimulating digestion. 

According to Ayurveda, walking 100 steps after a meal is recommended to enhance digestion and promote overall well-being. 

However, post-meal walking intensity should be low to moderate to avoid getting an upset stomach.

2. Yoga Poses

Certain yoga poses, like Child’s pose, wind-relieving pose, cat-cow pose, and others that involve bending and stretching at the abdomen, stimulate the digestive organs, enhance the release of digestive juices, and improve blood flow to these areas, thereby aiding bowel movements.

Read more about Treating Constipation the Natural Way With Ayurveda and Yoga.

3. Abdominal Massage

Can abdominal massage relieve constipation? Yes. Studies have demonstrated that abdominal massage can promote peristalsis, decrease the time taken for food to pass through the colon, increase the frequency of bowel movements in constipated patients, and decrease abdominal pain and discomfort associated with it.

You can do this on your own – start by lying down. Place your palm on the abdomen and massage gently from right to left, in a clockwise direction around your belly button. Do this twice a day, for 15 to 20 minutes each time.

4. Core Strengthening Exercises

Core strengthening exercises stabilise and strengthen the muscles in your core, including your abs, back, hips, and pelvis. Performing these exercises increases the pressure inside your abdomen and stimulates the gastrointestinal tract.

Exercises like planks, squats, and crunches can improve the strength of your abdominal muscles and stimulate gut motility.

5. Deep Breathing Exercises

Stress primarily affects the mind. However, it can also lead to gut-related issues. How? This happens because of the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication pathway between your brain and gut. 

Stress can cause disruption and slow down digestion, which can cause symptoms like bloating, tummy aches, and constipation. 

Practising stress-relieving techniques like deep breathing exercises can calm the mind, improve gut health, stimulate gut motility, and prevent constipation.

Read more - How Does Stress Affect the Digestive System?

Medications for Slow Gut Motility

Various medicines are used to manage intestinal motility disorders, such as laxatives, stool softeners, and supplements. Let us look at some commonly used medications for slow transit constipation.

1. Laxatives 

Laxatives are medicines used to treat constipation and are available over the counter or with a prescription. Laxatives are intended for short-term use, ideally for up to a week at a time. The main kinds of laxatives used are:

• Osmotic laxatives, like polyethene glycol and magnesium hydroxide, draw water into the intestine and make the stool soft and easier to pass.
• Stimulant laxatives like bisacodyl, senna, and castor oil activate the nerves that control the intestinal muscles.

2. Prokinetics for Gut Motility

The term prokinetic means to promote movement. Prokinetics are medicines that stimulate your digestive tract and help move food through it by increasing muscle contractions. 

A recent study has shown that prokinetics have the potential to improve motility function in all segments of the digestive tract, from the oesophagus to the colon. Commonly prescribed prokinetics are metoclopramide and domperidone.

3. Stool Softeners

Stool softeners are a type of emollient laxatives that are used on a short-term basis to relieve constipation. It acts by reducing surface tension within the stool, allowing more water and lipids into the stool mass. This makes the stool softer and allows it to pass easily through the intestines. Docusate is the most commonly used stool softener.

4. Fibre Supplements

Fibre supplements such as psyllium, inulin, and glucomannan can add bulk to the stools and allow them to pass easily through the intestine. Talk to your healthcare provider to know what fibre supplements are right for you.

5. Magnesium Supplements

We have already seen how magnesium-rich foods improve gut motility. Magnesium supplements such as magnesium citrate or hydroxide can act as a natural laxative. Magnesium relaxes the intestinal muscles, allowing a smoother passage of stools through the bowels.

Lifestyle Tips for Managing Slow Gut Motility

Here are some expert-recommended tips to keep constipation at bay: 

• Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Water facilitates smooth bowel motions, softens faeces, and supports all body processes, including digestion.
• Set up a meal schedule and eat at the same time every day. This will train your gut and regulate digestion.
• Practise stress-relieving methods like yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness to prevent stress-induced digestive dysfunction.
• Exercise every day to maintain your physical activity level. This encourages intestinal motility and stimulates the digestive system.
• Consume foods high in fibre, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, to improve gastrointestinal motility and increase the bulk of your stools.
• Sitting for long periods of time without movements can slow down gut motility. Take a break in between to stand, stretch, or walk around every 30 minutes.

When to Get Medical Care

If diet and lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications do not offer significant relief from constipation, or if the symptoms return after discontinuing these measures, consult a healthcare provider to determine the best slow gut motility treatment for you.

These symptoms associated with constipation require medical attention:

• Severe pain or cramping in the abdomen
• Abdominal bloating
• A sudden, unexplained weight loss
• Presence of blood or mucus in stools
• Fatigue or weakness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Inability to pass stool or gas

Wrapping Up

Slow gut motility can turn your daily routine into a constant battle, leaving you feeling heavy, bloated and fatigued. But it doesn’t mean you have to live with it. Take charge of your health – the right combination of foods, exercise, and medications can provide relief from your symptoms and improve gut health. 

Simple lifestyle changes like drinking enough water daily and practising stress-relieving methods can improve gut motility, keeping you energised throughout the day. If you experience severe or persistent symptoms, get medical attention for identifying and treating the condition early.