Constipation and bloating got you down? How could it be?! Especially since you eat a plant based diet! Contrary to popular belief, plant based diet constipation and bloating is SUPER common.
In my work as a functional medicine practitioner, gut health specialist and clinical nutritionist for nearly a decade, it’s a conundrum I’ve seen in countless patients—plant based diet constipation and bloating. Just like I see a ton of carnivore diet based constipation and bloating…and ketogenic diet based constipation and bloating.
Why?!…How could plant based diets cause ‘gut problems’ like constipation and bloating? You may wonder.
Answer: Imbalance.
Ultimately, the body desires balance.
Your Body on Restrictive Plant Based Diets, Carnivore & Everything In Between
Just like a plant requires 3 primary nutrients: water, soil and sunshine; humans require 3 primary nutrients: protein, carbs and fats—ideally in their most complete form.
For example, if all you eat is apples—a steady diet of apples—the body certainly can try to extract 1 to 2 grams of protein from an apple to supply it with protein…but does this mean the ideal source of protein is an apple? Nope, the body sees an apple primarily as a fructose (carb) source.
Likewise, if all you eat is chicken—a steady of diet of chicken, your body can certainly make carbohydrate energy from chicken, but does this mean chicken is the preferred source of carbs? Nope! The body wants to use chicken as protein, and your side of sweet potatoes and broccoli as carbs.
The body is really resilient at trying to work for you. However, if your diet lacks nutrient balance, eventually your gut reflects this—getting out of balance as well.
I get it!
I was a plant-based dieter for several years. And it started off great with the “honeymoon” phase—you know, the phase where you’re taking pictures of your smoothie bowls and feeling ‘cleansed’ for eating a frozen black bean burger or Annie’s frozen vegan tamales instead of turkey burger or chicken salad. However, as time went on, I eventually realized that my dietary habits weren’t really helping my gut-related issues get any better. I was still bloated and constipated. A lot. Some days I went to the bathroom 5 times. Other days, not at all. Literally, I felt stuck….until I discovered several reasons why plant based diet constipation and bloating can happen.
Read on to find out 7 common reasons why plant based diet constipation and bloating happen, plus 7 remedies to kick it.
7 Common Reasons Why Plant Based Diet Constipation & Bloating Happen
#1. You Have Low Stomach Acid & Digestive Enzymes
Vegan and vegetarian dieters are often more comfortable being plant-based because they don’t digest protein well. Stomach acid, digestive enzyme, bile acids, as well as saliva and proper (slow) chewing are ALL essential to break proteins down.
If you’re deficient in any of these digestive mechanics, no wonder that chunk of chicken (that remains a chunk of chicken in your gut) does not feel good. Intuitively, you are listening to your body’s cues because it doesn’t have the digestive fire you need.
Couple this conundrum with not eating animal based proteins on a long term plant based diet and your stomach acid, digestive enzymes and bile acid production is further suppressed, causing even the mere thought of meat to feel like a brick sitting in your stomach!
Common causes of low stomach acid and enzymes include:
- A history of PPI use (for indigestion) and other long term medications (NSAIDs, SSRI’s, etc.) or antibiotic treatments
- Low fiber diets
- Long term restrictive diets or disordered eating
- High sugar intake
- Overtraining and sedentary lifestyles
- Sleep deprivation
- Eating fast or on the go or mindlessly (eating in front of TVs, computers, etc. and not chewing your food)
- Frequent or substance use
#2. Your Gallbladder & Liver Get Congested
Over time, low assimilation (poor digestion) and intake of protein means the liver doesn’t get the building blocks it needs to do detox work.
Amino acids from proteins that are particularly important for liver detox include:
- glycine (found in fatty cuts of meat, organ meats, skin-on chicken)
- taurine (beef, fish, chicken)
- glutamine (beef, eggs, fish, tofu chicken)
- cysteine (pork, chicken, tuna, beef, eggs)
Without enough complete proteins, adequate glutathione (your master antioxidant) does not get produced and the body has a really tough time completing phase 2 liver metabolism to both package toxins for excretion and regulate the immune system.
As a result, toxins, undigested foods, hormones and substances (like caffeine, birth control pills, metals in water and dental fillings, alcohol or medications, etc.) don’t effectively get “detoxed” (instead ending up circulating in the body). “Bile sludge” also accumulates in both the liver and gallbladder, disrupting gut microbiome balance and inhibiting proper digestion and enzyme activity too.
Hello bloating and constipation on a plant based diet!
#3. You’re Consuming Xenoestrogens & Phytoestrogens
Xenoestrogens are estrogen-mimicking compounds and chemicals found in non-organic foods (pesticides, antibiotics), tap water, plastics (water bottles, tupperware), personal hygiene and cleaning products and medications like birth control pills.
Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds found in a wide variety of foods and herbs, most notably, soy foods. they are also known as “dietary estrogens.”
Both xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens are notorious for promoting dysbiosis, SIBO and liver-gallbladder congestion—especially in women with estrogen dominance. Common xenoestrogen and phytoestrogen sources on a plant-based diet include:
- Non-organic fruits and veggies
- Glyphosate and Atrazine-sprayed grains/oats, corn soy, wheat
- Mycotoxins in grains, legumes, coffee, som nuts and seeds
- Industrial seed oils (canola, vegetable, grapeseed)
- Processed soy, tempeh, miso
- Synthetic, processed soy: tofu, tempeh, miso (ex. Fake meat burgers, protein bars, vegan cheese, vegan pizza,, etc)
Many of these foods are innately “bad,” however, if they compose the bulk of your diet or if your gut microbiome isn’t functioning optimally, you may accumulate higher amounts of exogenous estrogens that increase the toxic gut enzyme—beta glucaronidase, in the estrobolome (your gut), further disrupting the biome, hormone balance and liver/gallbladder health.
Our ancestors and early humans didn’t consume large amounts of soy. Plants were a survival food consumed between successful hunts. So it’s understandable that our bodies haven’t evolved to digest the amount of processed junk and plant based diet foods many folks consume today.
#4. Where is the Fiber?
Fiber, found in veggies and fruits, is essential for building a balanced microbiome and helping healthy, probiotic rich and beneficial gut bugs stick. Unfortunately, 9 in 10 Americans (plant based dieters included) do not eat the recommended number of veggies each day (2 to 3 cups or more!) and even if they do, tomatoes and potatoes rank #1 on the veggie list in the form of pizza sauce and French fries.
How many real (non powdered) veggies have you eaten today?
#5. Your Gut Lining Tissue Gets Weak
Like a muscle needs protein to rebuild, tone and strengthen after pumping out bicep curls, your gut lining tissue needs amino acids to maintain optimal integrity and prevent leaky gut.
Amino acids in complete proteins maintain the intestinal mucosal mass and integrity, and also support the growth of microorganisms in the gut.
Plant based diets, void in adequate amounts of amino acids and high in lectin-containing foods (like grains, beans, nuts, seed), can exacerbate leaky gut, along with constipation and bloating.
#6. Your Body Gets Treated Like the Animals You’re Trying to Save
You know those animals you are trying to save? The animals that are treated inhumanely— grain-fed, processed foods, not their “ideal” diet? Many plant based diets consist of foods that treat human bodies the exact same way—high in grains, lectins and pesticide laden foods that are not ideal for the microbiome.
Beyond Meat Burgers, vegan mac and cheese and vegan cereals, bars and shakes may be yummy, but you may be missing out on several key ingredients for optimal health and well-being.
#7. You’re Under Eating
You know protein is “good” for muscle health, strength and development. You also know nutrients are essential for human life. Unfortunately, if we cut out an entire food group (vegan, keto, carnivore), we short circuit our daily fuel requirements. As s result, if we aren’t intentional and mindful about eating enough, we end up accidentally undereating.
Undereating naturally slows down metabolism (digestion included).
3 Remedies to Kick Plant Based Diet Constipation & Bloating
Remedy #1: Boost Stomach Acid, Enzymes & Gallbladder Function
Boost your digestive mechanics with supplemental supports and lifestyle hacks that increase stomach avid, enzymes and gallbladder health:
Digestive enzymes
HCl (stomach acid)
Digestive bitter herbs (gallbladder health)
Chew your food really well and slow down at meals!
Remedy #2: Balance Your Plate
Fat, fiber, protein—the 3 primary essentials for microbial balance. If you’re really opposed to incorporating all 3 macronutrients in their most nutrient-dense form (ie. complete proteins), at the very least a therapeutic dietary approach is recommended including some easy-to-digest complete proteins and nutrient-dense foods:
6 to 10 servings of veggies per day (cooked digest best)
1 to 2 servings of healthy fats with meals (no industrial seed oils)
strategic intake amino acids:
Bone broth
Quality pea protein
Properly prepared legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) and nuts (soaked overnight in 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
Pastured eggs
Wild caught fish (sockeye/coho salmon, halibut, cod, tuna, etc.)
Non-processed organic tofu
Pastured, sustainable, organic lean proteins (chicken, ground turkey, etc.)
Remedy #3: Establish a New Identity
You are not what you eat. In other words, you are not a vegetarian or vegan, you follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. The more we cling to an identity wrapped in our diet—whatever diet it is—the harder it is to “break free” (even if our body is clearly speaking and telling us that something is not working
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