Various types of potatoes. A staple food, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten routinely and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and generally forming a significant proportion of the intake of other nutrients as well.
Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon.
Dietary fiber or fiber used for treating constipation can cause bloating without increasing the production of gas in the intestine. It is believed that this sensation of bloating (and possibly even distention) is caused by the slowed passage of gas through the intestine which is caused by fiber.