Ghana Health Service Give a dog a bad name and hang it. This old adage still resonates with many Ghanaians when we talk about bread and constipation. But mostly, the talk is not based on facts, but on sentiments and emotions. Bread has been with man for as long as man has been with bread, spanning thousands of years before even our common era. Today in Ghana, bread production has soared.

In fact, according to 6Wresearch, Ghana’s bread production is estimated to grow consistently from 5.47% to 13.29% between the period of 2025 and 2029. Vendors of bread are on every street, even on busy highways. Most families are beverage addicts, starting the day with Tea, Milo, or Hausa Koko virtually every morning. What do we add? Bread.

My Father’s Experience

This is my story. I grew up with my late father who loved bread. He would send me to buy 'tea bread' as we used to call it. He would have a glass of water with no sugar or milo, dip the bread and consume. He ate bread since I grew up to see him every day till almost 80 years of his life. I never heard him complain of constipation. But my father did more than just take in the raw bread with water which I will share with you in a moment.

Little did I know I will grow up inheriting his habit. I take in bread almost every day — not just me, but my wife and child. Bread is always on our table and most of my friends know bread to be my favorite. One of my good friends was diagnosed with hemorrhoids (piles). His first intuition was to stop eating bread. After many months without bread, neither the piles stopped nor the constipation.

These stories are not scientific proof. But they point to something important: bread alone is not always the problem.

So What Is The Real Story?

Bread is made from flour, which is a starchy food (a carbohydrate). The type of bread matters. White bread is made from refined flour, which has lost most of its fiber. Whole meal or wholegrain bread keeps more of the fiber, and fiber helps stool move easily.

But the same is true of any starchy food, such as noodles, pasta or sandwiches. This is the fundamental truth — every complex carbohydrate must have a catalyst (an aid) to be able to make it soft, bulky, watery to easily move through the intestines.

Here are four habits that I took from my father.

Here Is What I Learnt:

1. Take in a lot of water

My father was a serial water drinker and I picked it. He did not even know or understand the science of his frequent water intake and that was my first pick from him. It is uncommon to go water overdose. I go beyond 8 glasses or 3.5-4.0 liters per day recommended by the many health experts of which you may need more when you are active or in hot weather.

Taking water first thing in the morning, before brushing my teeth, is now a habit, not a choice. This softens any waste, makes it bulky for easy transit into the colon. My hydration does not end in the morning. Water is always beside me, either in the office or on errands. Make it a habit, not an option.

2. Early morning exercise

My father was a very active person which sustained him into his old age. I have also realized that even small stretches for five to ten minutes has enormous benefits as far as passage of stool is concerned. Exercise relaxes the smooth muscles in your stomach and large intestines that push waste along into the colon. Learn to move your body early in the morning. You don’t need a gym to do that.

3. Eat fruits and vegetables daily

I did not tell you that my father also loved fruit and veggies in addition to his bread. In fact, fruits was his dinner. This is my third trick I learnt from him. Learn to eat 2-3 servings of fruits and 4-6 servings of vegetables per day. According to the Ghana Food Exchange List, one serving of fruit can be, for example, 1 medium apple or orange, or 1 medium finger of banana. You can get plenty of vegetables from the stews we cook at home. The acids, the fiber, the water in these fruits and vegetables are essential in aiding easy passage of stool.

4. Never ignore the urge to defecate.

My father will never miss his early morning pu-poo- at least not that I know. Anytime you have that feeling, stop whatever you are doing and respond quickly to the call. The water in the feces is absorbed back into the body when they are not removed at the appropriate time. This is one common cause of constipation.

The bottom line

Bread is not your enemy. Choose whole meal bread when you can, drink water, move your body, eat your fruits and vegetables, and answer the call defecate when it comes. Focus on your lifestyle, not on blaming bread. If constipation does not go away, or if you see blood when you pass stool, please visit a doctor or health facility for a check-up