Ask a pediatrician what fills their clinic and constipation is always on the list.
As a pediatrician of 25 years, treating constipation in children is extremely common. It is the number one reason why children have stomach aches and it affects children of all ages. It accounts for about 5% of all pediatrician office visits. Children often have limited diets that are low in fiber, and that is almost always the root cause of the problem. Starting children off on a healthy diet right from those first bites of solid food is so important. When we get them on the right track early, they are much more likely to continue accepting healthy, high-fiber foods as they grow.
It’s Not Just About the Belly
Constipation is one of the most recognized signs of an unbalanced gut, but gut health is about so much more than digestion. Your gut and brain are constantly communicating through the gut-brain axis, including signals carried along the vagus nerve. When the gut is out of balance, it can affect how we feel, including our mood, focus, and energy.
Here’s something that surprises a lot of parents: the gut plays an important role in producing and regulating many of the chemicals that influence how we feel. About 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the intestines. That’s one more reason to nourish the gut microbiome with the fiber-rich foods it needs.
The key to a healthy, diverse microbiome is variety. Fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains all provide different types of fiber that help nourish our gut bacteria. Think of the microbiome like a garden—the more variety you feed it, the more it can thrive. And when we take care of that gut garden, we’re supporting much more than digestion and regularity. We’re also supporting the important connection between the gut and the brain.
What You Can Do About It
If your child struggles with constipation, you are not alone, and the solution doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with the plate. Add more fiber – more color on the plate, more beans, veggies and more whole grains. When we add in more healthy foods, they naturally and gradually crowd out ultra-processed foods. I like to have my patients focus on abundance, adding in all the good stuff, rather than restricting.
When I’m teaching my patients about packaged food labels, I recommend paying attention to the fiber content rather than the calorie count. When we get enough fiber from whole, plant-based foods, everything else tends to fall into place. Every meal is an opportunity to feed that gut garden.
A Little Help for Busy Days
Let’s be real, life is complicated and everyone is busy. With everyone's busy schedules, it's genuinely hard to consistently meet daily fiber recommendations. Recently, I’ve discovered NeuroFiber Bars, a simple option that can help fill the fiber gap. Each bar contains 11 grams of fiber and 14 plant sources. They are gluten-free, made with natural ingredients, and contain no preservatives. These bars are a surprisingly good tasting & convenient option for those busy days when getting enough fiber from a meal just isn’t happening, especially when we’re traveling or have less control over what’s on the plate.
Real Results
I tested NeuroFiber Bars with patients who struggle with constipation, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Kids liked both flavors and ranked them higher than other high-fiber snacks they had tried in the past. One 10-year-old selective eater summed it up perfectly:
“It is REALLY good for the poop. It really does what it says.”
Parents appreciated knowing they were giving their kids something with quality ingredients that could support their fiber intake, and several parents tried the bars themselves with great results.
A Healthy Gut, A Healthier Future
The gut is so much more than a digestive organ. It is, in many ways, a second brain. When we take care of it, starting with those very first bites of solid food, we are helping set our kids up for healthier bodies, better moods, and sharper minds.
That’s a win I’ll take every single time.
Written by Heather Gosnell, MD
Heather Gosnell, MD is a pediatrician and plant-based health coach in Phoenix, AZ and owner of Eat Plants MD Coach. She empowers patients to optimize their health through targeted lifestyle medicine. You can connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
