Good point on over-use of laxatives-tends to destroy intestinal muscle tone and thus become a self-perpetuating problem. I offer the enema option as an alternative to reliance on pharmaceuticals. Based upon the low-fiber survival rations that seem most popular-chocolate candy, energy bars, mainstay products, protein supplement drinks-some of the ETS population is at extreme risk of constipation during a survival scenario. This is not an issue in the 72 hour envelope, but eventually, the gates will have to be re-opened or the survivors will be detonating like human grenades from the accumulated biologic pressure. Not a pretty picture.Best to plan for it.

Yep. I'll never forget listening to a GI surgeon explain that he'll do 1 or 2 colon transplants d/t a patient using senna for years. I was blown away, as I didn't know the sennosides destroy the neural tonicity of the colon (after years of use, but still...)

The vital dietary supplement Magnesium (Mg) not only is crucial to our health, but it will also help to keep your bowels regular, reducing or eliminating need for laxatives.

Most Americans have a deficiency of magnesium in their diets, mostly due to a decades-long depletion of the soils used to grow our food. If you look at your daily multivitamin bottle, you'll probably notice that it doesn't provide 100% of the daily minimum requirement, but only about 13%, and that's only 13% of the current RDA of 350mg. A new RDA of 500mg is expected soon, and some people think even that is too low, with 700mg being closer to optimum.

People who eat a lot of processed, low-fiber foods may want to increase any additional magnesium intake gradually, and stay near a bathroom until you know how it will affect your body. Sometimes, the 'effects' are a little more 'effective' than expected until you're used to it.

If you're interested in what magnesium does for the body, see http://www.ctds.info/5_13_magnesium.html or http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html

Sue

So when the MREs stop you up, chewing on your Magnesium firestarter can help?

JCWohlschlag: "So when the MREs stop you up, chewing on your Magnesium firestarter can help?"

Ha! My favorite brand of Magnesium (Calm - Magnesium Citrate) makes a small individual packet that you can add to your BOB, car or purse - to have on hand when that MRE stops you up! Actually it would be a good idea to take this just before or with your MRE to help keep you from getting that way in the first place!

Here is a box of them that you can get at Amazon or at your local Health Food Store: http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Calm-reg-R...6908&sr=8-1 I hope that link works.

Sometimes the health food store opens a box up so you can buy just one or 2 single packets at a time and not the whole box. I keep them with me at all times and I have them in mine and my husbands BOB's.

Susan, I second everything you said about Magnesium! Great stuff! Thank you for the great articles.

The brand I like is called "Calm" for a reason, it helps with anxiety, panic and insomnia. I take it every night to help me sleep. And like Sue says, it does help keep you 'regular.'

You can also buy it in larger containers: http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-C...6880&sr=8-1

To prevent loose bowels or diarrhea you start taking it in smaller amounts and build up to what is called "bowel tolerance" - the point at which you reach loose bowels or diarrhea and then you cut back to the dose size before that. So start with 1/2 teaspoon a day. Then a week or so later add another 1/2 teaspoon. Keep doing that until you have loose bowels. Then cut back to the prior dose. And like Sue says, it is good to stay by the bathroom on the days you increase your dose. Weekends are good if you work the rest of the week.

I like to take it twice a day. So just do the same thing at morning and night doses - take to bowel tolerance.

Here is another website that has a lot of articles on Magnesium: http://www.mgwater.com/listc.shtml

Magnesium Oxide is the least absorbable magnesium. Something like only 4% of it is absorbed. So take one of the other forms, like Magnesium Citrate, glycinate or malate. About 30% to 50% of these are absorbed.

Joy