Constipation is the condition in which a person has few bowels in a week. Bowel movements become less and sometimes painful. People with hard stool find it difficult to defecate. It is not that serious condition. A person often gets cured within days with proper diet and medications. Get Home Remedies for Constipation.
Symptoms of Constipation
Some of the common symptoms of the constipation are as follows:
- Painful and fewer bowel movements
- Urge to defecate but unable to do it
- Bloating of your belly
- Improper defecation
Causes of Constipation
Eating foods that are low in fibers
- Consuming less water
- Eating dairy products
- Resistance to poop
- Stress
- Overconsumption of laxatives
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Colon cancer
Generally, constipation happens because of the extended stay of stools at the colon. The colon absorbs the water content from the stool that makes it hard, causing it to pass in difficulty.
Home remedies to cure it
There are various natural remedies to cure constipation lets discuss them in detail.
Staying hydrated
It is one of the key remedies which doesn’t allow constipation to appear in the first place. Dehydration or consuming fewer fluids play a vital role in the development of constipation. It is important you start drinking enough water and rehydrate yourself.
As per the study, staying hydrated is effective in treating people suffering from chronic constipation as well as from irritable bowel syndrome.
Eat a fiber-rich diet
Fibers improve the efficiency of bowel movements. However, which type of fiber you eat also holds great importance. For example, insoluble fibers help in quick bowel movements as well as easy passing of the stool. Some foods that consist of insoluble fibers are Whole-wheat flour, Wheat bran, Nuts, Beans, Cauliflower, Green beans, and Potatoes.
Whereas soluble fibers absorb the water and forms a paste making the stool soft. It helps in restoring your regular bowel movements. Some foods rich in soluble fibers are dried beans, oats, oat bran, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, peas, and potatoes.
Honey
Honey for constipation is used because it improves the metabolism of the body that aids efficient digestion. Mix one teaspoon of honey and half lemon juice to warm water. Drink this mix in the early morning at an empty stomach for better results.
Exercise
The more we sit, the more our gut doesn’t move and doesn’t process our food. So exercising is essential for your proper digestion. Regular walks help in bowel movements. However, it doesn’t ultimately help you in getting rid of constipation. It helps you to get rid of specific symptoms of it.
Reduce stress
Everyday stresses block our brain’s ability to communicate with our gut to continue with the regular bowel movements. Stress refrains your body’s ability to digest and excrete the food properly, which creates digestive disorders.
Senna: a herbal laxative
Senna herbs consist of glycosides that speed up your bowel movements by stimulating the nerves in your gut. However, adults must consult the doctor before using this herb. It is not recommended to take for the people who are pregnant and have inflammatory bowel syndrome.
Probiotics
It is a good bacteria that improve the digestive process. It is beneficial for people suffering from chronic constipation. In chronic constipation, it is often seen to have an accumulation of harmful bacterias that hampers digestion. The good bacterias help to get rid of harmful bacterias and restore the efficiency of the digestive system.
Probiotics produce lactic acids and fatty acids, which makes the stool easier to pass, and it also improves the gut movements. Some probiotic-rich foods that you can take are kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kombucha, traditional buttermilk, etc.
Low FODMAP diet
It stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. F generally represents foods that cause gas when digested. ODMP stands for different shapes of sugars. It is generally recommended for people suffering from constipation due to irritable bowel syndrome. IBS also causes constipation in some people.
IBS is caused by certain carbohydrates that are in FODMAPS. These carbohydrates are not digested properly in your small intestine, which attracts water towards it and sends it to the large intestine where bacteria ferment them and cause gas.
Limiting the intake of such a diet is considered as efficient in treating the symptoms of IBS.
Prebiotic foods
Prebiotic foods improve the frequency of the bowel movement and improve the consistency of stool. These foods also introduce good bacteria to your digestive system. Some foods rich in prebiotics are chicory root, dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, barley, etc.
also Read: Benefits of Vitamin C For Good Health
Prunes
Prunes or prune juice act as natural laxatives because of their sorbitol content. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that acts as a laxative. It works better than fiber. However, people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome must avoid consuming it.
Foods to avoid
List of foods that you need to avoid are as follows:
- Red meat, Cheese
- French fries, Eggs, Cookies
- Icecream, Yogurt, Chips
- Donuts, Onion rings
- Frozen foods, White rice
- White bread, Alcohol
- Caffeine, Chocolate
- Dairy products
Dairy products can be replaced with foods that are rich in calcium.
