Getting constipated when eating fish.

[chucky]

I have problem with getting constipated after I have eaten herring. I know, it sounds weird but it is causing me some stress and discomfort after not having gone for 4-5 days. I have also eaten raw salmon that did not constipate me. The problem is with herring. What could cause this ? I have heard some people getting constipated after getting their high dose of Vitamin D. Could it be because of too much salt as these herrings come from container where they are kept in salt water ( although ocean is pretty salty too). Or might it be of getting too much calcium ? Herring has a lot of small bones. I remove the spinal cord but there are smooth bones in the meat that I usually ingest (not harmful at all).

I sometimes eat some other fish but others are just too expensive. 4lb of farmed salmon costs 22$ and tuna 40$. Herring is 3$ for 4lb

[KD]

wait? are you saying they keep the whole fishes in some kind of salt water/seawater, or are you talking about pickled herring in a jar and stored on a shelf?

what is the rest of your diet like?

[kurite]

If your talking about the square canned herrings then thats your problem. Is it canned?

[chucky]

wait? are you saying they keep the whole fishes in some kind of salt water/seawater, or are you talking about pickled herring in a jar and stored on a shelf?

what is the rest of your diet like?

If your talking about the square canned herrings then thats your problem. Is it canned?

Thanks kurite and KD
Lol no, not marinated herring no jars and cans! My herrings are raw and untouched. I usually put the whole herring on my plate and start eating it.

I have done eliminating things and I have figured it out that it's about herring what makes me constipated. 

Could it be too much salt ? It decreased potassium that draws water into colon or that mysterious constipating Vitamin D. Hard to believe but I have read about Vitamin D supplement reviews and some of them get constipated by taking it.

[Kokki]

Herring and other small fishes are full of dioxins and other highly toxic substances, especially if they come from the inner sea. You wouldn't even touch that stuff if you knew what they've in them. The Baltic sea is propably one of the most polluted seas after the Gulf of Mexico, carrying poisons from radioactive waste to oil and agriculture chems. When I ate raw, wild-caught salmon from the Baltic sea, I got extreme nausea every time. That's why ocean wild-caught fish is always more preferable.

Do you eat farmed salmon? I recall Aajonus saying that he has seen only one good fish farm during his whole life, that gave proper nutrition to the fishes.

[chucky]

Herring and other small fishes are full of dioxins and other highly toxic substances, especially if they come from the inner sea. You wouldn't even touch that stuff if you knew what they've in them. The Baltic sea is propably one of the most polluted seas after the Gulf of Mexico, carrying poisons from radioactive waste to oil and agriculture chems. When I ate raw, wild-caught salmon from the Baltic sea, I got extreme nausea every time. That's why ocean wild-caught fish is always more preferable.

Do you eat farmed salmon? I recall Aajonus saying that he has seen only one good fish farm during his whole life, that gave proper nutrition to the fishes.

I eat salmon rarely and if I do it is probably farmed.

NO, my herring is atlantic. I know about the Baltic sea problems and thanks for reminding it. Few times I ate small amounts of baltic herring but will not eat any more of them. Herring I am eating is wild caught from Northern Atlantic.

But the sea between you and me, kokki, is polluted a lot. I somewhere read that Baltic sea is the most polluted and the most dioxins dioxins containing sea.. Oh yeah, found it. Look at this - http://www.eesti.ca/index.php?op=article&articleid=26986

[raw-al]

This is but a wild guess. When I started into this raw diet not long ago, I ran out of raw butter for a few days. Instant constipation.

My solution was to take Triphala an Ayurvedic medicine that you can get at any Indian corner store. (cheap and easy) Just to get rid of the old stuff (stuck stool). Drink water with it. There are other things you can get and Triphala is not the absolute best because it has a bit of a drying tendency.

But to prevent the problem in the first place I found that butter and fats like avocado do the trick for me.

[chucky]

This is but a wild guess. When I started into this raw diet not long ago, I ran out of raw butter for a few days. Instant constipation.

My solution was to take Triphala an Ayurvedic medicine that you can get at any Indian corner store. (cheap and easy) Just to get rid of the old stuff (stuck stool). Drink water with it. There are other things you can get and Triphala is not the absolute best because it has a bit of a drying tendency.

But to prevent the problem in the first place I found that butter and fats like avocado do the trick for me.

That's interesting as I have been eating less and less butter recently!

Thanks.

[biluka]

It’s very hard to say that the constipation might cause by a specific fish like herring, but if you feel like having constipation after having herring you can include much more vegetable or fruits which contain fibres such as luffa, winged beans, mango… etc in to your meals. Without neglecting nutritional food, you can enjoy delicious dish of herring if you include this tip into your daily routine, “start your day with water therapy”.

[RawZi]

It decreased potassium that draws water into colon or that mysterious constipating Vitamin D. Hard to believe but I have read about Vitamin D supplement reviews and some of them get constipated by taking it.

    Funny.  Vitamin E in supplement form, another oil/fat soluble vitamin like Vitamin D, that supplement too can constipate.

    I think I would love to get fresh herring.  Thanks for the heads up.  I'll make extra sure to get plenty of magnesium with it when and if I try that fish.  That should prevent constipation in this case, yeah? 

[RawZi]

It’s very hard to say that the constipation might cause by a specific fish like herring, but if you feel like having constipation after having herring you can include much more vegetable or fruits which contain fibres such as luffa, winged beans, mango… etc in to your meals. Without neglecting nutritional food, you can enjoy delicious dish of herring if you include this tip into your daily routine, “start your day with water therapy”.

    Luffa sponges?  How do you eat them?  Are wing beans a bean?  In all the pictures I Google'd it looks like it may be a vegetable or a "bitter melon".  Is it one of those beans that might have too many purines?  You mix mango with herring in one meal?  Like a mixed ceviche?  Avocado chicken ceviche is nice.  Fiber gives me constipation too, like you, Biluka.  I'm not looking forward to it soon.

    What water therapies do you like best?  I guess it would be really paleo if we jumped in the water, for "therapy" (and fun), and caught our own fish before we bite in.  Thanks for the idea!

[RawZi]

herring you can include much more vegetable or fruits which contain fibres such as luffa... meals. Without neglecting nutritional food, you can enjoy delicious dish of herring if you include this tip into your daily routine, “start your day with water therapy”.

    Hmm, maybe paleo man did eat loofah with fish, and use it for water therapy too.  Young loofah fruit is also referred to Chinese okra.  I assume since it's like okra, you can eat it when raw.  I like to eat raw okra.

Loofah is harvested for food in many parts of Asia. All species of loofah are edible, but they must be consumed before they mature, or they will be too woody and fibrous to eat. Loofah is cooked before eating, and is sometimes seen on menus as “Chinese okra.” When allowed to mature and dry on the vine, loofah can be harvested as a sponge. The woody exterior skin is peeled away, and the seeds shaken out for reseeding. The loofah sponge can be sold whole, or chopped into smaller and more manageable portions. Loofah can also be compressed for shipping. The net of straw colored fibers will puff up again if the loofah is moistened.

Like other sponges, loofah will collect bacteria if it is kept moist and warm, an environment common to bathrooms. For this reason, many people incorporating loofah into their beauty regimen prefer to use it as a dry exfoliating brush before bathing, or to grind it and use it in exfoliating scrubs. As a dry brush, loofah will gently remove the surface layer of dead skin, leaving the skin smooth and conditioned.

[chucky]

RawZi,

  I haven't eaten whole herring anymore but fillets only and my bowels move normally. But this change was not the only one. As I was always suspecting salt to cause constipation by decreasing potassium I started using PAN-SALT. It has both sodium and potassium and creates perfect balance! And I have seen more health benefits from potassium ( don't take me wrong here as I have always thought that I might be low on potassium - drying lips, mouth and getting hungry too fast) such as better insulin, no dry mouth nor lips.