Constipation is an often uncomfortable and extremely prevalent condition affecting close to 80 million people. And while constipation might be common, it is definitely not normal and it can have disastrous consequences. Having healthy digestion and eliminating waste every day (ideally twice or three times a day!) is critical to your overall health. Your liver flushes out toxins and dumps them into your intestines. However, if your digestive system isn’t working optimally, then all those toxins and waste can get reabsorbed into your body. So, it makes sense that constipation has been linked to multiple diseases, including cancer and even Parkinson’s disease, plus it actually makes you feel like crap!
In this episode, Dr. Hyman sits down with Dr. George Papanicolaou to discuss the importance of getting to the root cause of constipation. They share information on the most common drivers of constipation including diet, chronic stress, antibiotic overuse, and a wide range of many other issues.
George Papanicolaou is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Abington Memorial Hospital. He is also an Institute for Functional Medicine Practitioner. Upon graduation from his residency he joined the Indian Health Service. He worked on the Navajo reservation for 4 years at the Chinle Comprehensive Medical Facility where he served as the Outpatient Department Coordinator. In 2000, he founded Cornerstone Family Practice in Rowley, MA. He practiced with a philosophy centered on personal relationships and treating the whole person, not just the disease. He called that philosophy “Whole Life Wellness”. Over time as the healthcare system made it harder for patients to receive this kind of personal care Dr. Papanicolaou decided a change was needed. He began training in Functional Medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine. In 2015, he established Cornerstone Personal Health – a practice dedicated entirely to Functional Medicine. Dr. Papanicolaou joined The UltraWellness Center in 2017.
In this conversation, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Papanicolaou discuss:
- Symptoms of constipation
- The conventional vs. functional medicine approach to constipation
- Are over-the-counter constipation remedies safe?
- Why constipation can be a dangerous precursor to other health conditions
- Main causes of constipation
- How to heal your gut
- Lifestyle practices to heal the gut
