Constipation is a digestive disorder that affects people of all ages, everyone experiences this disorder from time to time. It causes difficulty in passing stools and leads a person to strain too much empty, and excessively hard stools. Constipation occurs due to lack of enough fiber and water in their diet. It can also occur as a result of too little exercise, or it can be a side effect of different drugs. Bloated abdomen, acidity, loss of appetite, headache, depression, bad breath, abnormal small and large stools are the symptoms of constipation. The good news is that there are a number of safe and natural remedies for constipation. With some minor changes in your daily routine, you can deal with this problem and prevent it from reoccurring later.
Natural Remedies for Constipation:
1.) Fiber to Relief Constipation
Fiber is a natural laxative, it helps to increase the water content of your stool and bulk it up. This will help your bowel movement to move more quickly and smoothly. Sudden increase in fiber intake could lead to gas and bloating, so try to gradually increase fiber in your diet. Expert recommends at least 20 to 35 gms of dietary fiber each day.
Fiber can reduce the absorption of medicine in your body. Take medicine at least two hours before or after eating fiber. Berries and other fruits, especially those with an edible skin, such as grapes and apple are the good sources of fiber. Dark, leafy green vegetables like collard, beet greens, and mustard are also good choices. Beans and other legumes such as navy, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, lima, and white beans also contain lots of fiber. Eat whole grain such as popcorn, brown rice, oats, brown bread, and barley. Processes grain can also cause constipation.
2.) Drink Plenty of Water to Treat Constipation
Drinking plenty of water is not only helpful for constipation but it is also best for your overall health. The more water you will add to your lifestyle, the easier it will be to pass the stools. You must drink plenty of water when you are increasing the intake fiber in your diet. The quantity of drinking water vary from men to women. Men should drink at least 3 liters of water per day and women should drink at least 2.2 liters of water per day. It is one of the natural remedies for constipation.
Try to avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages in your diet as much as possible. Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages like coffee are diuretics. Diuretic dehydrates and cause a fluid loss in your body through increased urination. This can worsen the condition. Increase the intake of juices, clear broths, and herbal teas, because they are good sources of fluid and avoid caffeinated tea. Pear and apple juices are mild natural laxatives, so include them in your diet as well.
3.) Mineral Oil to Relieve Constipation
The liquid mineral oil will coat your stools with an oily, waterproof film. Oil coating will help the stool to retain moisture and move smoothly through your colon. You can easily find mineral oil at the drug store. Usually, it is combined with juice, milk, or water to consume it.
Avoid mineral oil, if you have any problem, or you are on the medication of pregnancy, allergy, appendicitis, heart failure, stomach pain, nausea, kidney problem or rectal bleeding. Consult your doctor before taking it. If your doctor approves mineral oil then don’t take other laxatives or stool softeners at the same time. Do not give it to the children younger than 6 years. Regular use of mineral oil not only cause dependency on its laxative effect but it will also help the body to absorb enough vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K. However, don’t take more than recommended dosage, overdose can cause several side effects like diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
4.) Magnesium to Relieve Constipation
Magnesium is an effective remedy for constipation. It softens the stool by drawing water into the bowel, so stool can easily move through your intestines. Before taking a magnesium supplement, consult your doctor as magnesium can interact with medication such as muscle relaxants, blood pressure, and antibiotics.
Broccoli, legumes are the good sources of magnesium. You can take magnesium by adding one teaspoon of Epsom salt to 7-8 ounces of water. Mix well and drink. Magnesium citrate supplements are available in tablets. Take the dosage recommended by the doctor or marked on the package. Drinking water is compulsory with each dose. Magnesium hydroxide is also known as milk of magnesia and effective at treating constipation.
5.) Lemon to Treat Constipation Naturally
Lemon is one of the effective natural remedies for constipation, especially in the form of juice. It stimulates the digestive system to get thing move fast and treat constipation. This is most simplest and effective treatment that you can try at your home.
Extract the juice of half a lemon and add it to a glass of warm water. You can also add a pinch of rock salt or one-half teaspoon of table salt and a little honey to it. Drink the lemon water empty stomach in the morning. You can also drink it in the evening but morning would be more perfect. Follow this remedy daily and see the result within a few days.
6.) Spinach to Get Rid of Constipation
Spinach is very good for the digestive tract. It has various components that can cleanse, regenerate the whole intestinal tract. It’s very helpful, especially when you are suffering from constipation.
Add spinach in your diet to get rid of constipation. Either eat it raw or you can cook also, depends on your taste. If you have severe constipation, drink a mixture of a one-half glass of water and the one-half glass of raw spinach juice twice a day for a few days and you will see results.
7.) Molasses to Treat Constipation Naturally
Molasses is one of the natural remedies for constipation. It is a best natural laxative that helps to get your bowel moving. As molasses contain high calories so you must not follow this remedy for a long time.
Take one teaspoon of blackstrap molasses daily, before going to bed. If you don’t like the taste so you can mix it with fruit prune juice and fruit juice. If you are not getting relief, so you can increase the dosage to one teaspoon to two teaspoons. You can also mix two to three tablespoon of molasses with an equal amount of peanut butter and eat it in the morning.
8.) Castor Oil to Cure Constipation
Castor oil is one of the good natural remedies for constipation. It can help to stimulate your intestine and, could lubricate your bowel, so the stool will slip out more easily. Castor oil is generally considered safe, but don’t take if you are pregnant or you have appendicitis or intestinal blockage. Consult your doctor and only take recommended dosage. An overdose of castor oil can cause a variety of rare but unpleasant side effects like fainting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps dizziness, skin rash, chest pain, shortness of breath and tightness in the throat. Do not use fish oil without the recommendation of a doctor, it may cause constipation.
9.) Grapes to Treat Constipation
Grapes is full of insoluble fiber and a natural remedy for constipation. It helps to produce regular bowel movements. Drink a glass of fresh grape juice daily or eat a small bowl of grapes. You can also boil a milk for few minutes and put 10 to 15 dry seedless grapes in it and drink the solution in the evening. This remedy works great for young children those who have constipation and also prevent it reoccurring later. You can also eat raisins, soak it in a water for a day or two. Eat the soaked raisins along with water on an empty stomach in the morning.
10.) Figs, Natural Remedies for Constipation
Those who are suffering from constipation, they should include figs in their diet Figs are very high in fiber and works as a natural laxative. Figs are natural remedies for constipation, both fresh and dried figs can be used. If you have fresh figs, eat them with their skin because the skin of figs contains most of the fiber and calcium. Soak two to three almonds and figs in water for few hours. Peel the almonds and grind them with figs. Take this paste with one tablespoon of honey at night.
11.) Honey to Get Rid of Constipation
Honey is very beneficial in relieving constipation. It acts as a mild laxative. You can take honey daily to prevent as well as treat constipation. Take two teaspoons of honey three times a day for better result. You can also mix one tablespoon of each lemon juice and honey in a glass of water and drink it every morning on an empty stomach.
12.) Exercise t0 Get Rid of Constipation
Start walking about 30 minutes then gradually increase the pace until you can walk as fast as you can without breaking into a run. Start of the fast walk about 5 minutes and then slow down for another 5 minutes, repeat it for one hour. If you don’t have time to walk an hour, so don’t worry. Just try to increase the pace of your walking on regular basis.