Q: Will you please let me know whether the product Nature Care of Dabur can be taken for constipation by people wanting to remain on a low sugar diet? The composition on the bottle is: Isabgol Husk Powder: 49%, Amla Powder: 5%, Sarkara: 46%. What is Sarkara? Is it the Indian name for Cane Sugar or Jaggery, i.e. shakkar? I have asked doctors but they don't seem to know. Will you please enlighten me on this? I don't have diabetes but I am on a low sugar diet. Will taking Nature Care add sugar to my diet?

A:The word sarkara is Sanskrit úarkarâ meaning fruit sugar. Essentially it is sugar. It will not help if you are on a low sugar diet, it will add to the sugar in the diet. It contains however good quantity of fibre which will help in Chronic Constipation, Irritable bowel syndrome and Hypercholesterolaemia. Avoid taking the dry powder as it may cause severe choking. The routine consumption of such purgatives to clean the bowels affects the tone of the intestines and ultimately leads to more severe constipation, which persists throughout life. You should preferably should not use purgatives but increase the fluid intake, fruits like prunes, raisins, banana, figs and vegetables and whole grain products. The habitual use of such products leads to increasing constipation as the natural reflexes are not allowed to act. The occasional use of an enema is not harmful. A low enema may be necessary to initiate an excretory reflex during an acute illness or before and after an operation. Increase the fibre content of your diet by consuming larger quantity of whole grain cereals, green leafy vegetables, pulses etc. Such foods are low in simple sugar. Leafy vegetables like cabbage, spinach, carrots, and radish are also good for regular bowel habit. Fresh fruits are of great value in overcoming this condition since it contains roughage in the form of cellulose. Bananas, dried fruits like prunes, figs, raisins, dates, apricots are very use full. Vitamin B complex and potassium in the form of brewers yeast and vegetable soup, oral potassium salts (kala namak) and juices help to prevent the constipation.