Constipation is commonly misunderstood as infrequent bowel movements. The clinical definition is inadequately emptying the bowels. This means a person can have multiple 'partial poops' daily and still be constipated, leading to associated issues like bloating and gas.
A common misconception is that feces consist mainly of undigested food. In reality, the gut microbiome makes up the majority of stool, with 60% of its weight being microbial matter. This highlights how feeding gut microbes with prebiotics directly contributes to healthier and more substantial bowel movements.
Many individuals who believe they are sensitive to gluten are actually reacting to fructans, a type of carbohydrate found in wheat, barley, and rye. A study showed that when non-celiac individuals with self-reported gluten issues consumed fructans, their symptoms were triggered, whereas pure gluten had no adverse effect.
The fermentation process used to make sourdough bread breaks down and reduces the fructan content naturally found in wheat. Since fructans—not necessarily gluten—are often the cause of digestive distress for sensitive individuals, this reduction makes sourdough a more tolerable option compared to standard, unfermented wheat breads.
A key difference in US wheat processing is spraying crops with glyphosate (Roundup) to accelerate drying. This practice is not standard in Europe. Since glyphosate is known to disrupt the gut microbiome by depleting beneficial bacteria, it may explain why some people tolerate pasta in Italy but experience issues in the US.
Contrary to the common view of IBD as an autoimmune disease, it's more accurately described as the immune system mistakenly identifying the gut microbiome as an enemy. It attacks the microbes, and the intestines are damaged as collateral, rather than being the primary target of the immune response.