Many people wonder “are laxatives bad for you?” The short answer is yes, they are. There are several reasons why someone might want to lose weight or keep their body in shape by taking laxatives. It can be used by individuals as a means to help reduce the amount of constipation that they experience. This is because the amount of time that it takes to move through your bowel movements can be very disruptive to your sense of fullness.
Many people are also interested in using laxatives as a weight loss aid. As you can see, both sides have some valid points when it comes to using this method for weight loss. Still, this is something that should only be done under the supervision of a doctor. You do not want to become addicted to this form of treatment and create some sort of health hazard for yourself.
Another reason why it is important to ask the question “are laxatives bad for you?” Occurs when a person is considering the use of over the counter laxatives. Because these products are not regulated by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), there are quite a few different kinds of laxatives that can be sold today. This is what makes it so important that you only choose a laxative that is FDA approved to ensure that you are not putting yourself at any risk regarding potential side effects.
One of the more common side effects when you are using laxatives to lose weight is dehydration. Yes, dehydration can occur when you are on a detoxifying diet. However, when you take a laxative, you are essentially flushing out your system. While this can be effective at eliminating excess water from your system, it can also lead to dehydration. Because your system does not have the necessary fluids to properly function, this can result in poor bowel movements and can cause you to become dehydrated.
In addition to dehydration, many people who are taking laxatives to lose weight find that they are experiencing constipation. While this is usually temporary, it is still a very real problem that can be rectified by drinking more water. Many people mistakenly believe that laxatives will make their bowels move more regularly. While this may be true in some cases, constipated bowels are not caused by using laxatives. Instead, the bowels are just moved less frequently due to the lack of fluid in your system.
Another laxative abuse side effects occur when a person begins to lose weight while taking laxatives. Because you are losing weight, your digestive system will have to work even harder in order to process foods in your body. When you consume less food, your digestive system has less work to do in order to remove all the unwanted food from your body. This is why it is common to experience “crampy” feeling during your first few days of stopping your laxative use.
Additionally, you should know that laxatives will actually dehydrate you if you take too much. This happens because they force your body to pass stool faster than it would normally. Because of this, your body will end up retaining a large amount of water which can cause you to feel thirsty, even if you are not truly thirsty. This can be dangerous, as the next time you go to the bathroom, you might end up passing gas because you have lost even more water. Laxative abuse is a recipe for disaster when you want to lose weight and keep it off.
As you can see, even though there are many positive laxative side effects associated with them, they cannot guarantee weight loss. Any form of therapy should always be considered as a supplement to your daily diet. If taken in conjunction with a healthy diet, laxatives can certainly help you lose weight. But remember that you must continue to add foods to your diet that will aid in your weight loss efforts or you may wind up taking laxatives to relieve some of the pain and symptoms of constipation – not lose weight!
