The Colon Club

It was mentioned on here a week or so ago I think by Gaelen that black strap molasses is good for constipation. Well, I seem to have that problem right now and I have an ostomy. What is the difference between black strap and dark molasses. I have dark molasses in my cupboard, but the ingredients just say "molasses." Also, how much should I take and when?

Thanks for your help.

Uncomfortable in Ohio...

I have a diet that is such that I should never suffer from constipation, but alas, many times I do suffer from chronic constipation.

My unattached ascending colon is turned and twisted into a cecal volvulus that delays the passage of stool in the part of the colon
that pulls moisture from it to make it solid enough to pass, hence causing my constipation.

I have tried many things in addition to having a diet high in fiber, with a daily intake of vegetables, and fruit. I also drink plenty of water.

A native American woman who has been an herbalist for quite some time, told me to visit this site and try this formula.

http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/const ... rberry.cfm

This is an amazing herbal site. I ordered it because even my surgeon said the ingredients, especially the slippery elm bark, made perfect sense to help relieve constipation.

I have been using this product for the past 3 weeks and I can tell you that it truly works for me. I have not had a bout of constipation since starting it.

But if you are not interested in this or other herbs, make sure you are drinking lots of water, getting a daily intake of some fresh fruit, and do not eat white bread.

I assume you are trying to relieve your constipation with the use of drugs or over the counter products like ducolax or other laxatives?

good luck. i know all to well how miserable constipation can make you feel.

jamiana

Thanks, jamiana. I very rarely suffe from constipation in spite of the fact that I have a colostomy. I normally take Colace twice a day, but have been trying to get away from it. Since I'm not on chemo I can eat more salads, etc. now which I absolutely couldn't do on chemo. I have taken Tylenol about 4 times over the past two days also because I have a virus which may be the contributing cause...or reaction to the dye from Wednesday's CT. I have molasses but I just don't know the difference between dark molasses and black strap and how much I should take and when.

Pam, I usually start with a teaspoon of molasses, either mixed into tea or drizzled on a spoonful of vanilla pudding or ice cream, or straight if you like molasses (I like it, so I do it straight.) A teaspoon is often enough to loosen things up for me, but be careful--take too much and you might get diarrhea.

Blackstrap molasses is different from dark molasses. It's the third boiling of the syrup, and contains more vits and minerals--specifically magnesium, which is what can help with constipation (just like milk of magnesia, but molasses tastes a lot better!)

From Wikipedia:
"Sulfured molasses is made from young green sugar cane and is treated with sulfur dioxide, which acts as a preservative, during the sugar extraction process. Unsulfured molasses is made from mature sugar cane and does not require treatment with sulfur during the extraction process. There are three grades of molasses, Mild or first molasses, Dark or second molasses, and Blackstrap. These grades may be sulfured or unsulfured.

To make molasses, which is pure sugar cane juice, the sugar cane plant is harvested and stripped of its leaves. Its juice is extracted from the canes, usually by crushing or mashing. The juice is boiled to concentrate which promotes the crystallization of the sugar. The results of this first boiling and removal of sugar crystal is first molasses, which has the highest sugar content because comparatively little sugar has been extracted from the juice. Second molasses is created from a second boiling and sugar extraction, and has a slight bitter tinge to its taste.

The third boiling of the sugar syrup gives blackstrap molasses. The majority of sucrose from the original juice has been crystallized but black strap molasses is still mostly sugar by calories[1]; however, unlike refined sugars, it contains significant amounts of vitamins and minerals. Blackstrap molasses is a source of calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. One tablespoon provides up to 20 percent of the daily value of each of those nutrients.[2][3] Black strap is often sold as a health supplement, as well as being used in the manufacture of cattle feed, and for other industrial uses."

Hope this helps.

Thanks Gaelen. I don't have any black strap in the house...just dark but I'll try a tsp. when I go to bed. It can't taste any worse than the cough syrup taste I already have in my mouth. I'll probably have to buy the black strap at my health food store. Thanks again. I hope this works. I got the ginger snap cookies from Trader Joe's the other day, but I guess I'm not eating enough of them. I've been eating about 4 per day but they are small cookies.

Ok this will sound REALLY WEIRD but eat about 3-4 pieces of SugarFree Candy with the additivve with an X something, or sorbitol or even Splenda and that works the BEST!!!! Hands down, better then anything!

Has anyone else ever experienced what I am talking about?! I told my brother recently, he had surgery and the Pain Meds plugged him up and it worked on him too!

Okay, I looked at the molasses jar again and it said "robust, unsulfered molasses" on it. So I took 1 tsp. Liz, I don't have any sugar free candy in the house right now either. I've been a bit sick with a virus and don't really feel like going out, plus we live in the country and it's 5 miles to just about everything from here. We'll see what happens in the morning.

Thanks for all your help. I don't actually feel constipated and don't know if you actually do when you have a colostomy, but I know I need something. It also doesn't help that I've been eating bland foods the last couple of days due to this cold. I'll have oatmeal in the morning. That will help too.

Gaelen, the molasses tasted pretty good.

eitter, no you are right, I am a diet tech, and we have many diabetics who eat DB candy and find out incidentally sorbitol definitely will do the trick for constipation, but be careful because it can cause diarrhea if you eat too much.

Polarprincess wrote:we have many diabetics who eat DB candy and find out incidentally sorbitol definitely will do the trick for constipation, but be careful because it can cause diarrhea if you eat too much.

Actually, this can happen with any of the the 'tols used as artificial sweeteners--xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, etc.
And for those with ostomies--be very careful of 'tols. They can not only cause diarrhea, but intense intestinal gas. While it's inconvenient or slightly uncomfortable for someone without an ostomy, it's really a pain in the gut if you've got an ostomy!

I tried the molasses last night -- nothing. I took a Colace this morning and ate oatmeal. I am making boiled dinner with smoked sausage, carrots, taters and CABBAGE for dinner tonight. I don't feel uncomfortable. I also know I haven't eaten much in the last several days since I got this cold so that could be contributing to lack of stool. If all else fails, I've got some kind of women's laxative in the back of my medicine chest.

Also, I have another question for ostomates. Would I even feel it if I were constipated...or had a blockage?

Me oh my. Problem solved. Molasses worked like a charm after I took about 1/2 Tbsp. last night. I had a rude awakening at 3:00 this morning...complete with taking a shower, etc. Yikes! Thanks for the tip Gaelen. I was SO afraid I was having a blockage and I'm having Sir-Spheres next week...no more fear.

Another friend told me she takes 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. Molasses has a more pleasant taste than straight vegetable oil would, I'm sure.

PammySue_51 wrote:Me oh my. Problem solved. Molasses worked like a charm after I took about 1/2 Tbsp. last night. I had a rude awakening at 3:00 this morning...complete with taking a shower, etc. Yikes! Thanks for the tip Gaelen. I was SO afraid I was having a blockage and I'm having Sir-Spheres next week...no more fear. Another friend told me she takes 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. Molasses has a more pleasant taste than straight vegetable oil would, I'm sure.

Oh, my! Pam...always, always start slow and small.
If you are having a blockage, you will know. Pain in your abdomen. Uncomfortable fullness after eating. Sudden (and I mean *sudden*) changes in stool texture from rock hard to liquid in a couple hours...usually because liquid is all that can pass past the blockage.
Molasses does work more slowly than some other methods, but it always kicks in, and the danger is thinking "well, that wasn't quite enough; I should take another teaspoon."

Actually, increasing the fat in your diet will help keep things moving...I wouldn't take vegetable oil straight, but a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil or butter on your vegetables is pretty tasty...as is sauteeing them in some bacon.

Glad things are loosening up!

Gaelen, I wouldn't have upped the dose of molasses so soon, but I was SO afraid of a blockage and I don't want anything to keep me from getting my Sir-Spheres next Tuesday. I did not have any abdominal cramping. I did feel full but maybe that was because I was. So...molasses and cabbage...works better than a charm...works like a volcano!

Do you take molasses daily or just when you're having a problem. My surgeon put me on Colace twice a day 2 years ago after my ostomy surgery, but since I'm not on chemo right now I've been able to eat more salads, fruits, etc. I had been doing fairly well without the Colace until the last few days...probably because of all the cold medicine I was taking.

PammySue_51 wrote:molasses and cabbage...works better than a charm...works like a volcano!

Yeah, I'll bet.

Do you take molasses daily or just when you're having a problem.

I only use the molasses when I'm having a problem...and just a teaspoon will work for me.

eitter wrote:Ok this will sound REALLY WEIRD but eat about 3-4 pieces of SugarFree Candy with the additivve with an X something, or sorbitol or even Splenda and that works the BEST!!!! Hands down, better then anything! Has anyone else ever experienced what I am talking about

Yes. Splenda makes me wretchedly ill, including terrible diarrhea. This I found out way before I was ever having any colon issues. I guess that's why it would work well for constipation.