Relieve Constipation: Natural Ways

Constipation is a common and uncomfortable problem, affecting around 20% of the population. It can be caused by various factors, such as diet, lifestyle, medications, and medical conditions. While laxatives are often used to treat constipation, many people prefer natural remedies. Here are some natural ways to relieve and prevent constipation:

- Increase fluid intake: Aim for about 8-13 cups of fluids per day, including water, tea, and juice.

- Consume more dietary fibre: Try to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds in your diet.

- Exercise regularly: Physical activity helps stimulate the muscles in the intestines and colon. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day.

- Change bathroom habits: Use a toilet stool to reposition your body and relax the digestive muscles, making it easier to defecate.

- Try natural laxatives: Prunes, figs, and raisins are natural laxatives that can help relieve constipation.

- Avoid dairy products: Lactose intolerance can cause constipation.

- Consider supplements: Magnesium citrate and glucomannan supplements can help improve bowel movements.

- Massage your abdomen: Massaging in a clockwise direction for 10-15 minutes twice daily may help relieve constipation.

Drink plenty of water and other fluids

Water is important for your digestion. It keeps the food you eat moving through your intestines, and it keeps your intestines smooth and flexible, too. Dehydration is one of the most common causes of chronic constipation. The food you eat makes its way from your stomach to the large intestine, or colon. If you don't have enough water in your body, the large intestine soaks up water from your food waste. This makes you have hard stools that are difficult to pass.

Drinking plenty of water and other fluids can help prevent and treat constipation. It can help move food through your digestive system and stop stool from hardening. Water and other liquids add fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass.

In general, you should aim to drink about nine cups of liquid a day if you’re a woman and 13 cups if you’re a man. If you’re constipated or taking fibre supplements, you may need to drink more. Ask your doctor for guidance.

Though water is an ideal choice, don’t discount the benefits of other beverages. Green tea, black tea, coffee, and other drinks can all count towards your daily fluid intake. Vegetable juices, clear soups, and herbal teas are also good sources of fluids. Fruit juices, while hydrating, contain a lot of unneeded sugars.

Eat more fibre-rich foods

Eating fibre-rich foods is an effective way to prevent and relieve constipation. Fibre supports the microbiome, promoting a healthy balance of bacteria in the digestive tract. It also aids gut motility, which is the coordination of muscle contractions in the intestines that push food along the digestive tract.

There are two types of fibre: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibre is what we think of as roughage. This is the material from food that your body cannot break down in digestion, so it leaves the body pretty much as it goes in. Insoluble fibre bulks up stools and helps them travel through the digestive system faster. Good sources of insoluble fibre include the skins and seeds of fruits and vegetables, whole grains such as whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, bran flake cereals, and legumes such as lentils, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, and chickpeas.

Soluble fibre, on the other hand, dissolves in water. When dissolved in water in the digestive tract, soluble fibre forms a gel that adds bulk. The gel also acts as a natural stool softener, making bowel movements easier and more comfortable to pass. Soluble fibre can be found in fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, and prunes, and vegetables such as potatoes, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, Jerusalem artichokes, and chicory.

When increasing your fibre intake, it is important to do so gradually. Adding a lot of fibre to your diet all at once can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as gas, cramping, or bloating to worsen. It is also important to drink plenty of water and other liquids when increasing your fibre intake, as this helps the fibre work better.

Exercise regularly

Exercise is a great way to relieve constipation, and you don't need to be a marathon runner or powerlifter to benefit from it. Even light exercise can help get things moving.

Regular exercise reduces the time it takes for food to move through the gastrointestinal tract. This reduced transit time means that the body has less opportunity to absorb water content from the stool during the digestive process. Put simply, hydrated stools pass more easily than hard, dry ones.

The exact mechanisms of how exercise activates gut motility are not fully understood, but they are believed to take place through both mechanical and chemical routes. Mechanical mechanisms include physical pressure on and twisting of the intestines, as well as changes in blood flow to the intestines. Chemical mechanisms include hormone release and increases in digestive enzymes.

Yoga is a great exercise for constipation because it affects blood flow to the intestines. Since it involves bracing, bending, and twisting the core, this exercise also emphasizes tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, which is often referred to as the "rest and digest" system. Research suggests that yoga postures may be especially beneficial in relieving constipation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, as that gastrointestinal condition is highly linked to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Some specific yoga poses that can help reduce constipation include the Cat-Cow, Downward Facing Dog, Supine Twist, Cobra, and Child's pose.

Running is another great exercise to relieve constipation. During intense, total-body exercise like running, the body routes blood away from the digestive system and toward the working muscles. The high-impact nature of running also jostles the intestines, which may stimulate contractions.

If you are new to running, it is recommended to start with short, low-intensity jogs and gradually build up your run duration and intensity based on how both your muscles and gut feel.

You don't have to push the exercise intensity to promote bowel movements, though. Light cardio can also help promote regularity. Leisurely walks and bike rides are great ways to get the heart rate slightly elevated and stimulate the gastrointestinal tract.

It is recommended to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. This can include activities such as walking, jogging, swimming, or biking. In addition to structured exercise, activities such as gardening, active commuting, and household chores all count towards your weekly total.

To get the greatest digestive benefits of working out, your exercise choice matters. However, any physical activity, even light exercise, can help get your insides moving.

Try natural laxatives like prunes or figs

Prunes and figs are excellent natural laxatives that can help you relieve constipation. Prunes are a good source of dietary fibre, which is crucial for maintaining good digestive health. They contain both soluble and insoluble fibre, which help to add bulk to the stool, soften it, and facilitate its passage. The soluble fibre in prunes also helps retain water and produce fatty acids that increase stool weight. Additionally, some people may experience a laxative effect from the sugar alcohol sorbitol found in prunes.

Prunes are available in many forms, such as dried, fresh, or as prune juice. To include more prunes in your diet, try having about seven prunes a couple of times a day to help relieve chronic constipation. You can also drink prune juice, which is known for its laxative effects and can help soften hard, lumpy stools.

Like prunes, figs are also an excellent source of soluble fibre, which can help relieve constipation and other digestive issues like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Figs are available in different colours, such as purple and green, and can be consumed fresh or dried. However, it is recommended to soak dried figs in water overnight before consuming them. Soaking figs helps break down the soluble fibre, making them easier for the body to assimilate. To manage constipation, try consuming 2-3 soaked dried figs in the morning, repeating this daily for a month.

In addition to their fibre content, both prunes and figs contain other nutrients that can provide additional health benefits. Prunes, for example, are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium. Figs are also rich in vitamins A and B, as well as minerals like phosphorus, calcium, iron, and potassium.

By including natural laxatives like prunes and figs in your diet, you can help relieve constipation and improve your digestive health. Remember to also stay properly hydrated and maintain a healthy diet with enough fibre-rich foods to support long-term constipation management.

Change your bathroom habits

Constipation can be uncomfortable, but some simple changes to your bathroom habits can help.

First, don't delay going to the bathroom when you feel the urge. Allowing yourself plenty of time on the toilet is also important. A good time to try is after breakfast or lunch, when your bowels are most active.

Try to get into a good toilet position. The ideal position is with your knees higher than your hips, which can be achieved with a footstool. Lean forward, resting your elbows on your knees, and bulge out your abdomen. Straighten your spine and breathe deeply through your mouth. This will help prevent straining.

If you're struggling to pass a stool, try getting up and walking around. A warm or hot drink may also help.

Toilet stools can also help with constipation. These are designed to raise your knees above your hips, relaxing your digestive muscles and making it easier to pass a stool.

Frequently asked questions