How Prostatitis Patients Can Ease Constipation: High Fiber, Water, and Probiotics

Constipation in patients with prostatitis is no small problem. The prostate and the intestinal tract share the pelvic floor muscles. 

Inflammation will make the pelvic floor muscles tight all the time, and the intestinal peristalsis will slow down; forced defecation during constipation will make the prostate more congested, and the problems of frequent urination, urgent urination, and constipation will overlap, making people particularly uncomfortable. 

So, how to relieve constipation? The key is to "control inflammation first, then regulate the intestinal tract." A reasonable diet is very important: eat more high-fiber food, drink more water, supplement probiotics appropriately, and cooperate with standard treatment in order to fundamentally improve constipation and reduce prostate pressure. 

Why Prostatitis Often Leads to Constipation

To improve constipation caused by prostatitis, we must first understand the reasons: 

Pelvic floor muscles are tight: Both the prostate and intestines rely on the pelvic floor muscles. Inflammation makes the muscles tight all the time, like rubber bands; the intestines wriggle slowly, and the stool is dry and hard to defecate. 

Inflammation affects the intestinal tract: Inflammation of the prostate can affect the intestinal tract through nerves; even if eating normally, it is easy to become constipated. 

Living habits: move less if you feel uncomfortable, plus sit for a long time, eat greasy food, and drink less water; these habits themselves are prone to constipation, and combined with prostatitis, defecation is more difficult. 

Psychological pressure: always pain, always uncomfortable, easy anxiety, and tension will make intestinal peristalsis slower, forming "the more worried about defecation, the more it cannot be discharged" cycle. 

What to Eat: High Fiber, Plenty of Water, and Some Probiotics

The combination of the three can not only make the intestinal tract smoother but also reduce the pressure on the prostate. 

A high-fiber diet helps you defecate easily: 

Eat enough dietary fiber, and the stool becomes soft, the intestines move, defecation is effortless, and the pressure on the prostate is small. Don't eat spicy and coarse food; choose mild and digestible high-fiber food: 

Whole grains: oats, rough rice, quinoa, jade rice, and millet. Replace half of the white rice noodles every day. Oatmeal porridge for breakfast, rough rice for lunch, and steamed jade rice for dinner are all fiber-filled and filling.  

Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli; melons such as cucumber, winter melon, and eggplant; and mushrooms such as golden needles. More than 500 grams per day, green leafy vegetables account for more than half. Steaming, boiling, or cold is the best. Don't fry or add spicy food.

Fruits: apples, pears, ripe bananas, pitaya, and rhesus. Apples and pears with skins are richer in fiber, and pitaya seeds can stimulate the intestines. 200-350 grams a day, between meals; don't eat a lot of raw cold fruit on an empty stomach.  

Beans and bean products: soybeans, red beans, eagle's mouth beans, tofu, and soybean milk. 20-50 grams per day is enough. Don't eat too much to avoid flatulence.  

It is recommended that the daily dietary fiber intake should reach 25-30 grams (about one bowl of oatmeal + 1 jade rice + 200 grams of green leafy vegetables + 1 apple), and it should be increased gradually so that the intestines can gradually adapt and avoid abdominal distension caused by sudden large consumption.

Drink enough water to soften stool and relieve prostatitis: 

Some patients deliberately drink less water because of frequent urination, which is a serious misunderstanding. Insufficient drinking water can lead to dry stool and concentrated urine, which can aggravate prostate irritation.

Drink enough water: at least 1500-2000 ml (about 7-8 cups of 500 ml water) a day, and add 500 ml when you exercise a lot, sweat a lot, or in hot weather. 

Scientific way to drink water: drink many times, 200-300 ml per hour; drink 300 ml of warm boiled water on an empty stomach in the morning to wake up the intestinal tract, drink water half an hour before meals to promote the secretion of digestive juice, and replenish water 1 hour before sleep to supplement the loss at night. 

Recommended drinks: You can drink a moderate amount of honey water (1-2 spoons of warm water), light green tea, chrysanthemum tea, wax gourd soup, towel gourd soup, etc., which can not only replenish water but also clear heat and promote diuresis, which is beneficial to the prostate and intestinal tract. 

Avoid stimulating drinks: alcohol, strong tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, high-sugar milk tea, etc. Need to drink less or not; they will aggravate prostate congestion, stimulate the intestines and stomach, or destroy intestinal flora. 

Probiotics: Regulate flora and make defecation more regular 

Intestinal flora imbalance is an important cause of constipation, especially in patients with bacterial prostatitis who take antibiotics for a long time.

Source of probiotics: active yogurt without added sugar is preferred, 200-400 ml per day, half an hour to one hour after meals (at this time, the concentration of gastric acid is low, and probiotics are easy to survive); pickles, natto, and other fermented foods can also be eaten in moderation. 

At the same time, high-fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are prebiotics, which can promote the reproduction of beneficial intestinal bacteria and form a synergistic effect with probiotic supplementation.

Note: Probiotic supplements should be taken according to medical supervision or instructions, with warm water, at least 2 hours apart from antibiotics, to avoid affecting activity.

Dietary Restrictions

Some foods can aggravate prostatitis and constipation at the same time, so it's better to eat less: 

Hot and stimulating food, like pepper and raw garlic, can cause prostate congestion but also cause intestinal spasms, making it more difficult to defecate. 

Deep-fried high-fat foods: fat, fried chicken, French fries, slow digestion, the intestinal tract, and the prostate are involved. 

Refined foods: white rice, white bread, pastries, less fiber, long-term eating, easy constipation, best with whole grains. 

Food with easy bilious gas: Onion, leek, and legume cause much easier abdominal distension; eat less when constipated. 

Good Habits That Help with Prostate Issues and Constipation

Exercise: Walk fast, jog, and swim for more than 30 minutes every day, which can make the intestinal tract move, and the blood circulation of the prostate gland is also good; sit up and rub the abdomen clockwise for 10 minutes every morning and evening to help defecation. 

Regular bowel movements: In the morning or after breakfast, sit for 5–10 minutes even if you don't want to, and make it a habit. Don't look at your phone when you defecate. Limit the time to 5–10 minutes. Don't use too much force. 

Sit and squat less: Stand up and move for 5–10 minutes every hour you sit. Stretching or walking can reduce pressure on the prostate and intestines. 

Relax: Listen to music and meditate to relieve anxiety. See a psychologist if necessary to avoid tension affecting the intestinal tract and prostate. 

In addition to good living habits, medication is also needed. Treatment of prostatitis: control of inflammation is the key. Bacterial prostatitis should take antibiotics for 4-6 weeks according to the doctor's advice and should not be stopped at will.

Non-bacterial prostatitis can be treated with Chinese patent medicines like the Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill developed by Dr. Li's clinic (containing honeysuckle and forsythia) under the guidance of doctors, which can clear heat, promote blood circulation, relieve prostate discomfort and pelvic floor muscle tension, and improve constipation. Warm sitz baths (15–20 minutes) 1–2 times a day also promote local circulation.

When to See a Doctor

If constipation is not improved after 1-2 months of diet, lifestyle conditioning, and standardized medication, or the following conditions occur, it is necessary to seek medical treatment immediately to exclude organic lesions: 

Constipation is aggravated, with blood, mucus, or severe abdominal pain during defecation; 

Rapid weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting; 

Frequent urination, urgency of urination, aggravation of pain in urination, hematuria, or severe pain in the perineum. 

Conclusion 

The core of the association between prostatitis and constipation lies in pelvic floor muscle tension and inflammatory stimulation, which requires a two-pronged approach of "controlling inflammation and regulating the intestinal tract."

Adhering to a scientific diet, good habits, and standardized treatment, most patients can get rid of double trouble. Conditioning needs to be done step by step. If you have any questions, you can consult your doctor to make a personalized plan.