bananas and constipation

hi,  so i am recovering/struggling with my anorexia, which may have something to do with the constipation,  it has in the past i think,  but its pretty bad now and maybe it could be i have been eating a banana every day sometimes 2.  i cannot take any laxatives or anything because i have a long flight on sat and i dont want it to "catch" up with me then...should i lay off the bananas

I think you ought to look at other possible causes for your constipation. Make sure, for one, you're eating enough. Then, that you're eating enough fibre in general even with the bananas, and of both kinds. Soluble, and insoluble fibre - Insoluble (the fibre that forms bulk and regulates acidity and PH in the gut) and soluble (the fibre that helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol).

Insoluble fibre examples:
 -- Whole-wheat pastas, breads, etc
 -- Quinoa
 -- Brown rice
 -- Bran products
 -- Fruit and vegetable skins, such as potato skins, tomato skins, plum/prune skins, apple skins, pear skins
 -- Nuts and seeds, particularly flax, almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts

Soluble fibre examples:
 -- Oats
 -- Rye
 -- Barley
 -- Potatoes of all varieties
 -- Psyillium husks
 -- Legumes and pulses, especially lentils, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, pinto beans and soybeans

And pretty much all fruits and vegetables. Particularly raspberries, plums, bananas, sweetcorn, prunes, apples, pears, blackberries, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, asparagus, artichokes and dried fruit. Again, never introduce lots more fibre without drinking enough water to compensate. There is a more detailed list of fibre sources here for future reference.

After that, speak to your doctor.

its very simple. you need to eat fiber but you are eating ALL FIBER! too much fibre leads to bloating, constipation or gas or all 3 symptoms. google too much fibre and you will see what im talking about

 ... ah, yeah. You're possibly eating too much fibre. While bodies can tolerate higher than the RDA (women 25g, men 30g) any more than about 80g-100g of fibre is bad. Just as too much of anything is bad. Having too much fibre can lead to your colon becoming dehydrated (thus making it harder to poo) and bloating, gas and discomfort associated with constipation. It can also mean you won't absorb nutrients as readily because of all the bulk.

Still, to your constipation problem, I suggest you find some low residue foods to go into your diet. Or, at least, slightly lower fibre. Dairy products are low fibre, as an example. So are meats. White bread, pasta, rice. You needn't stop eating fibre (don't do that!) but just lessen your intake. Try monitoring how much you average a day and if it's in excess of about 70g you may have the answer to your problem.

I also still strongly suggest speaking to a doctor. Constipation can be a sign of something more serious. And chronic constipation is not something you want to risk, either!

I should also add that the dangers of a prolonged maintainance of an underweight weight are risk of osteoporosis, of loss of fertility if you lose your period, hair loss, electrolyte problems, a weakening of the immune system, low blood pressure, blood disorders such as anemia, heart problems, and even death if it's held long enough. So you might want to reconsider being below a healthy BMI.

The trick to eating lots of bananas and not get constipation is to drink plenty of water. I eat at least two small bananas everyday, sometimes three or four. I have constipation as well because of my IBS but bananas do help in my bowel movement sometimes.

Just remember that too much fibre is not good for you. :D Eat other kinds of food every now and then.