Foods that Relieve Constipation

07 Mar

Posted by Dr John Anne as Constipation

Constipation is defined as the passage of small amounts of hard, dry, bowel movements, usually fewer than three times a week.. The major cause of constipation is unhealthy eating habits and you’d be surprised how quickly you’d have a bowel movement after changing your diet for a few days. Foods that are high in roughage, bran and fiber are necessary in correcting and preventing constipation.

Foods that Relieve Constipation

Remove (or at least reduce) the amount of foods you eat that are low in nutrition, like dairy products, candy, greasy cheese burgers, etc. Unhealthy eating habits are the major causes of constipation. A healthy diet should consist of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetable, foods that are high in fiber content, and foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Stimulant laxatives - These laxatives aim at increasing bowel contractions but can cause stomach cramps as a side effect. These are taken at night to have a morning bowel movement, as they are supposed to work within 6-12 hours.

Bran cereals - It is one of the best foods that has a larger amount of fibers and roughage. Therefore it is very useful in constipation.

Foods like bran, psyllium husks, wheat, fruits that are rich in high quality fiber, vegetables, and whole grains; in short every high fiber foods are part of the foods that relieve constipation. Examples of fiber rich foods are blackberries, green beans, broccoli, raspberries, strawberries, apples including the skin, turnip greens, rye, stone ground whole wheat, walnuts and peanuts.

Foods that contain high amounts of insoluble fiber include cereals, seeds, wheat bran, whole grains, and the skins of many vegetables as well as fruits. These are helpful foods that foods that relieve constipation

Figs or prunes are considered to be the best natural laxatives and can very helpful for constipation in young children.

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