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Laxatives-Why Half the Nation Suffers From Constipation
by author Siegfried Gursche

When I started my career in health foods almost half a century ago, people didn’t openly talk about constipation. Talking about bowel movements just wasn’t proper at that time. Customers tried to explain what bothered them by pulling me aside, whispering into my ear that they were suffering from “hardening.” Sometimes they would keep me guessing by saying they weren’t “timely,” or at best they would ask for a herbal remedy to keep them regular. What they really wanted to say is that they were constipated. Of course times have changed and today people bluntly ask for a laxative when they are constipated or without regular bowel movements.

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Source: alive #252, October 2003

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