1 Introduction

Affected by modern dietary habits, irregular lifestyles, intense social work pressure and accelerating population aging, the incidence of constipation continues to rise year by year. Chronic constipation seriously impairs people's quality of life and even brings potential hidden dangers to physical health, gradually becoming one of the common sub-health diseases plaguing modern people. As an ancient and systematic life science system, Traditional Chinese Medicine has formed complete theoretical cognition, syndrome differentiation rules and daily conditioning methods in the prevention and auxiliary treatment of constipation. Meanwhile, natural herbal ingredients represented by Cistanche Tubulosa have shown outstanding application value in relieving constipation and regulating intestinal physiological functions.

 

2 TCM Understanding of Constipation

Constipation is clinically defined as fewer than 3 defecations per week, accompanied by dry and hard stools, or difficult defecation even with non-dry stool texture. TCM has a long historical record of constipation. In Huangdi Neijing, it was named "hindered defecation" and "difficult bowel movement". Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases defined it as "spleen constraint". Complete Works of Jingyue·Constipation Chapter classified constipation into yang excess constipation and yin deficiency constipation. The formal term "constipation" was first recorded in Origins and Implications of Miscellaneous Diseases in the Qing Dynasty and has been used ever since.

From the perspective of TCM theory, the core pathogenesis of constipation lies in the dysfunction of large intestine conduction, resulting in excessive retention of feces in the intestinal tract, dry and hard stool, and difficult defecation. The occurrence of constipation is not limited to intestinal lesions, but closely related to the functional disorders of zang-fu organs such as spleen, stomach, liver, lung and kidney.

 

3 Analysis of Constipation Influencing Factors from TCM Perspective

3.1 Improper Diet

Excessive drinking and long-term intake of spicy, greasy and rich food will cause accumulated heat in the gastrointestinal tract and dry stool. Long-term preference for raw and cold food leads to cold coagulation in the intestines and stomach, disorder of intestinal conduction function, and eventually induces constipation.

 

3.2 Emotional Imbalance and Sedentary Lifestyle

Excessive worry, anxiety and long-term sedentary inactivity easily cause qi stagnation and poor dispersion of visceral qi, leading to abnormal intestinal descending conduction, stagnation of intestinal waste and unsmooth defecation.

3.3 Physical Deficiency in the Elderly and Weak Population

People with congenital physical weakness, post-illness recovery, postpartum constitution and elderly groups often suffer from deficiency of yin, yang, qi and blood. Yang deficiency leads to insufficient warming and transporting power of intestines, while yin and blood deficiency results in lack of intestinal moistening and nourishment, both of which will cause difficult defecation.

3.4 Abuse of Purgative Herbs

Long-term use of bitter-cold laxative drugs such as rhubarb and senna will consume human body yang qi, make the intestinal tract lose warm nourishment, form drug-dependent constipation, and aggravate intestinal dysfunction.

 

4 Common TCM Syndrome Types of Constipation

According to TCM syndrome differentiation theory, constipation is divided into multiple typical types: heat constipation is manifested as dry hard stool, abdominal distension and pain, flushed face and hot body, dry mouth and bad breath; qi constipation features unremarkable dry stool, intestinal gurgling, excessive exhaust and incomplete defecation; cold constipation shows difficult defecation, abdominal cramping pain and cold limbs; qi deficiency constipation presents no dry stool but straining to defecate, shortness of breath and fatigue after defecation; blood deficiency constipation is accompanied by dry stool, pale complexion, dizziness and palpitations; yin deficiency constipation is like sheep dung-shaped stool, emaciation, insomnia and night sweats; yang deficiency constipation is characterized by difficult defecation, clear and profuse urine, cold limbs and lumbago.

 

5 TCM Daily Self-Care and Conditioning for Constipation

5.1 Daily Life Conditioning

Create a comfortable defecation environment, develop a fixed defecation routine, adopt scientific defecation posture, keep perianal skin clean, adhere to moderate physical exercise, and avoid long-term sitting.

5.2 Diet Conditioning

Keep a light diet, intake more fresh fruits and vegetables and sufficient drinking water, properly take honey, milk and sesame oil daily. Avoid spicy fried food, alcohol and tobacco stimulation.

5.3 Emotional and Medication Conditioning

Relieve anxiety and irritability through psychological counseling to maintain a positive mood. Do not abuse laxatives, stop taking purgatives once defecation returns to normal, and observe stool changes after taking traditional Chinese medicine decoction.

5.4 Acupoint and Auxiliary Therapy

Commonly used methods include auricular point pressing, umbilicus acupoint application, acupoint massage of Zhigou, Tianshu and Zusanli, as well as abdominal circular massage, which can effectively promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and improve defecation function.

 

6 Intervention Effect of Cistanche Tubulosa on Relieving Constipation

On the basis of TCM theoretical conditioning, Cistanche Tubulosa has become a high-quality natural herbal choice for intestinal regulation. Cistanche benefits for relieving constipation are reflected in multiple physiological mechanisms. It can significantly increase the small intestinal transit rate, accelerate intestinal material transportation, and effectively improve slow transit constipation.

It can inhibit excessive water absorption in the large intestine, increase intestinal osmotic pressure, soften hard stools, promote intestinal smooth muscle contraction, and shorten defecation time. Different from irritating laxatives, Cistanche Tubulosa nourishes intestines without damaging healthy qi, regulates intestinal balance from the root, and avoids drug dependence.

As a professional manufacturer of Cistanche Tubulosa extract, our factory has superior raw material planting and GMP standardized production advantages, with higher content of active ingredients in the extract. We focus on providing high-purity Cistanche Tubulosa raw materials for global dietary supplement OEM and ODM, helping develop natural intestinal health products suitable for European and American consumers, and combining TCM health preservation concept with modern nutritional research to provide safe and gentle constipation conditioning solutions.

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