Psyllium, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Flax Seeds

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Psyllium
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Lots of people have success with psyllium, but a lot of people also *don't* because psyllium can be very drying ... and therefore constipating.  (Go figure!)

In my case, I used psyllium for years with great success -- and then, over time, it gradually stopped working, and constipation became a real problem again, even with a relatively good diet.

So, I finally quit using the pysllium altogether, and switched to a psyllium-free fiber supplement, and suddenly everything was fine again! :-)  Lesson learned: I don't recommend psyllium for long-term use.

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Vitamin C
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As an occasional remedy for constipation, you can take Vitamin C in relatively high doses.  Once you reach your tolerance level (the amount your body can use), the body will dump the rest and your stools will begin to soften.  Increase the amount of Vitamin C gradually, though, since high doses can eventually trigger diarrhea, in which case, just back off a bit until your stools normalize, and continue until you've gotten a good cleanse.

(I do not, however, recommend Vitamin C on a long-term basis to control constipation simply because it is so acidifying.  Others in the Linus Pauling school recommend "orthomolecular" mega-doses on an ongoing basis.  You'll have to decide for yourself what you think is best.)

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Magnesium
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I'm less knowledgeable about this.  My understanding is that Epsom Salts should only be used for occasional constipation -- *not* for attempting to build your magnesium reserves.

However, from what I've read, magnesium deficiency is *extremely* common, and contributes to a whole host of health challenges.  I'd suggest Googling this (or search the CureZone to learn more.)

I'm just getting up-to-speed on this myself, but I do know that:
` many people use magnesium on a regular basis to improve elimination,
` many of us need more magnesium that we are getting,
` magnesium can be difficult to absorb (so the type of magnesium you use is important), and
` many health problems clear up when the magnesium deficiency is corrected.

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Flax Seeds
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Again, I'm less knowledgeable about this. I've heard that flax seeds are difficult to digest (for some people), and the oils in the seeds go rancid very quickly if the seeds are ground ahead of time.  This means all flax seed meal should be refrigerated (or frozen) as soon as it is ground.  Since most shipments of flax seed meal are not refrigerated, it's probably best to grind your own seeds on a per-use basis.

That said, I just checked the label on the fiber supplement I like and currently use, and it includes:

 ` flax fiber
` guar gum
` acidophilus
` F.O.S.
` L-Glutamine

Hope this helps!