Bloating, discomfort, and gas are just a few of the things you experience when you are constipated. Experts consider you constipated if you have less than three bowel movements a week. It’s also constipation if you have hard, lumpy stools, find yourself straining, or feel all the stool isn’t out.
About 1 in 5 people experience ongoing constipation, and the numbers go up to 1 in 3 in older people.
Fortunately, diet changes, hydration, and exercise can help keep you regular. And in a pinch, home remedies for constipation are safe effective aids for pooping that have been used for ages. Here we share more about remedies you can try at home to keep you regular all week.
Stay Hydrated: Water's Role in
Preventing Constipation
You are more likely to experience constipation if you are constantly thirsty and dehydrated. Water helps soften your stool and moisten your digestive tract. It lubricates your digestive system helping its contents move smoothly toward the exit.
The amount of water you need depends on your sex and lifestyle. For example, women need about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day but that could increase if you are breastfeeding or involved in rigorous work. Men need about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) a day.
You may need a little more if you’re in hot environments or engaged in rigorous activities.
You can carry a water bottle and sip it through the day to make hydration easier. Lemon, mint, and herbal teas like green tea can help improve the flavors and encourage you to sip more. You can also get water from clear soups, vegetable juice, and unsweetened fruit juice.
Regular Exercise: Keeping the Body and Bowels Moving
Physical activity has amazing benefits for your body and mind, including helping you prevent and treat constipation. Exercise increases blood flow to your gut, helps strengthen your abdominal muscles, and stimulates your intestines to contract, moving stool through your digestive system.
Exercise helps speed up the time food passes through your gut helping form stool more quickly.
Several studies show exercise helps relieve constipation. For best results, it helps to move after meals and make it a regular habit. Walking, cycling, yoga, and swimming are some exercises you can start with.
High-Fiber Foods: Nature's Laxative
Fiber is the main nutrient you need to stay regular. You need about 25-30 grams a day for your digestive tract to work well. Fiber increases the stool bulk and helps your digestive tract push it downward and outward.
Fiber is abundant in most natural vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Some rich sources include beans, carrots, oats, broccoli, peas, chia seeds, mangoes, oranges, acorn squash, pears, and berries.
Prunes and
Prune Juice:
The Classic Remedy
No list of constipation-treating remedies would be complete without prunes on it. For many people, prunes have a powerful effect on their bowel habits, providing near-instant relief. Prunes have a high fiber content.
And they contain a sugar called sorbitol content that helps draw fluid into your digestive tract and flush everything out smoothly.
As fresh fruit, dried fruit, or juice, this tart and tangy elixir has proven effective in several scientific studies.
Studies found prune juice more effective than psyllium (a commercially available fiber laxative) in helping people poop. Scientists recommend that prunes be used as the first treatment for mild to moderate cases of constipation.
Herbal Teas: Gentle Relief for Constipation
Quick relief for constipation may be in your kitchen cupboard—in your herbal tea collection. Herbal teas have helped ease stomach troubles including constipation for ages.
For starters, teas are high in fluid and help you stay hydrated. In addition, some have a laxative effect helping you pass stools easily.
Some teas that may help include licorice, dandelion root, fennel, black tea, elderberry, chamomile, and ginger.
Aloe Vera: More than Just a Burn Remedy
Aloe vera is celebrated for its ability to hydrate, cool, and moisturize human cells. Unsurprisingly, it also acts as a laxative helping stools pass quickly and effortlessly.
It has a high water content which helps keep your digestive tract hydrated and contains special compounds called anthraquinones that stimulate bowel movements.
However, it should be used with caution because it has both been approved as a laxative by the US Food and Drug Agency. It has been linked to side effects including cramps, diarrhea, potassium deficiency, and kidney damage.
Probiotics: Balancing Gut Bacteria for Smooth Digestion
Probiotics are another great tool in your constipation home remedy kit. Probiotics are live, helpful bacteria that can be found in fermented foods such as kefir, tempeh, kombucha, and sauerkraut.
"Probiotics promote digestion by providing bacteria that feed your gut and replace harmful bacteria in the body," says Patricia Kolesa MS, RDN founder of Dietitian Dish LLC. She also recommends speaking to your care team before taking any dietary supplements.
Scientific studies found probiotics are a useful tool for treating constipation. Research shows that probiotics may help nourish your gut and promote the growth of helpful gut bacteria.
Eventually, this helps your food digest properly and quickly, preventing you from experiencing build-ups, gas, and difficulty passing stools.
You may experience some digestive issues like diarrhea, gas, and nausea when you take probiotics for the first time. But those symptoms usually resolve over time.
Probiotics are helpful for childhood constipation and constipation in pregnancy but you should not use them if you have low immunity (for example if you have diabetes, HIV, had a recent organ transplant, or are having chemotherapy).
Magnesium Supplements: An Essential Mineral for Digestive Health
You can also support your digestive tract by taking a magnesium supplement. Magnesium supplements are available over the counter or online.
They help you get the right amount of magnesium which supports so many processes in your body including heart function, sleep, and exercise.
Plus, magnesium supplements help relax the digestive tract and increase the water in your intestines, which allows bowel movements to pass more easily.
“Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, black beans, and edamame are good sources of magnesium. These foods are also high in fiber so they are great to add to your diet to help you poop!" According to Sarah Alsing, MS, RD, owner of Delightfully Fueled.
You can get magnesium naturally from foods like nuts, green leafy vegetables, and whole grains. Most people have normal levels, but if you have a condition like irritable bowel syndrome your levels may be lower than normal and you may need to supplement.
The maximum dose for magnesium is 2000 milligrams a day. The supplements usually come in 500mg capsules or tablets. So you shouldn't take more than 4 of them in a day.
If you experience black tarry stools, diarrhea, or dark coffee-brown vomit, you should stop the supplements and seek medical care. Also, you should not take magnesium supplements if you have kidney disease.
Mindful Eating: The Importance of a Slow, Considered Approach to Food
Rushed, thoughtless meals can contribute to backing you up. On the other hand, if you eat mindfully you support your digestive system to work well and reduce your constipation risk.
Mindful eating practices such as eating at a designated place, chewing your food thoroughly, savoring your meals, paying attention to your body, and making deliberate food choices support your digestive system to work well and help your mental well-being too.
Almost everyone feels backed up from time to time. Developing the right habits of regular exercise, drinking enough water, and mindfully eating fiber-rich meals, can help you tilt the scales in your favor.
For quick relief, prune juice or prunes are a tried, tested remedy backed by science that may be useful. You can also support your digestive system (and bowel habits) by taking probiotics, magnesium supplements, and herbal teas.
If nothing seems to work, it’s a good idea to seek medical attention. Your doctors will help find the cause of the problem and help treat it.
FAQs
What are some natural remedies for constipation?
There are lots of natural remedies for constipation. Staying hydrated, eating high-fiber meals, and having a few prunes or some prune juice helps.
You can also consider moving more by walking, cycling, swimming or any other kind of exercise. Drinking herbal teas like licorice, chamomile, and black tea may also help.
How can I relieve constipation without using medication?
You can relieve constipation without using medication by supporting your body to pass regular stools. When you eat mindfully, drink plenty of water, exercise, and eat a high-fiber diet, you are less likely to get constipated.
Try eating lots of high-fiber foods such as mangoes, oranges, carrots, cucumbers, beans, and bananas. Eating prunes and drinking prune juice is also a quick, effective remedy that helps many people empty their bowels.
Are there specific foods that can help with constipation?
Yes, there are specific foods that can help with constipation. Prunes are well known for their ability to help with constipation both as fruit and as juice.
Other foods rich in fiber such as mangoes, beans, green leafy vegetables, carrots, cucumbers, paw-paws, and oranges are also helpful.
Fiber is a key nutrient that helps you form stools and pass them, so you should eat foods with lots of fiber in them.
Foods with a high water content such as grapes, pineapples, and watermelons also help because water flushes your digestive tract.
However, you need to pay attention to the effect the fruits have on your body. For example, apples can worsen constipation in some people because they contain a compound called pectin that can harden stool.
What are some specific home remedies for constipation?
Some specific home remedies for constipation include prunes and prune juice, herbal teas, Aloe Vera, probiotics, and magnesium supplements. You should try them all at once because that could increase your side effects risk.
You can try prunes or prune juice first if you have some. And then try a herbal tea such as senna or rhubarb. For best results, you should get enough exercise, drink plenty of water and mindfully eat fiber-rich meals too.
Does drinking water help relieve constipation?
Yes, drinking water helps relieve constipation. Water is a key part of the juices, enzymes and fluids your body makes during digestion. Also, when you drink enough water you help create enough bulk in your digestive tract to make stools.
The amount of water you need each day varies from person to person. Women should aim for about 2.7 liters and men for about 3.7 liters every day. You can drink more if you are in a hot environment, breastfeeding or involved in rigorous activities.
Apart from sipping the clear stuff, you can add flavor to your water with lemons or mint. Also, You can get extra water from clear soups, vegetable juices, and homemade fruit juice.
Can exercise help with relieving constipation naturally?
Yes, exercise can help with relieving constipation naturally. When you move more, you increase blood flow to your gut and strengthen your abdominal muscles. Ultimately, that speeds up the passage of stool in your gut and helps you pass stools easily.
Are there herbal teas that aid in relieving constipation?
Yes, there are herbal teas that can help relieve constipation. Herbal teas such as dandelion leaf tea, apricot tea, ginger tea, chamomile, and black tea can help you stay regular.
How much fiber should I consume to prevent constipation?
To prevent constipation, you should consume 25-30 grams of fiber a day for women and 30-38 grams a day for men. But fiber isn't the only thing you need. You need to stay hydrated and exercise regularly too.
What are some lifestyle changes I can make to alleviate constipation naturally?
To alleviate constipation naturally, your lifestyle should include regular exercise, mindful eating fiber-rich foods, and drinking enough water. You can also consider taking probiotics, a magnesium supplement, or a herbal tea such as licorice tea.
Is there a recommended natural laxative for relieving constipation?
There's no recommended natural laxative that works for everyone. Your best bet is to embrace lifestyle changes that help you stay regular. Such changes include regular exercise, drinking enough water every day, and eating food rich in fiber.
Prunes help many people empty their bowels and have been scientifically proven to be safe and effective for easing constipation. Herbal teas, probiotics, and magnesium supplements can also help. To know what's best for you, speak to your health care team about your options.
