Constipation - Home Remedies for Constipation

Constipation refers to any irregularity in, or absence of, bowel movements. The slow movement of food through the large intestine and the amount of time the waste remains in the colon are factors that contribute to constipation. More and more water is absorbed while the waste is in our body and the stool becomes drier and bulky thus more difficult to pass. Home remedies can help in relieving constipation.

Constipation is no fun. Sometimes it can be painful. But the cause of your sluggish bowels is often easy to find. It may include a lack of fiber in the diet, insufficient liquid intake, stress, medications, lack of exercise, and bad bowel habits, says Paul Rousseau, M.D., chief of the Department of Geriatrics at the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Administration Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Home Remedies for Constipation

Grapes have proved very beneficial in overcoming constipation. The combination of the properties of the cellulose, sugar, and organic acid in grapes make them a laxative food. Their field of action is not limited to clearing the bowels only. They also tone up the stomach and intestines and relieve the most chronic constipation. One should take at least 350 gm of this fruit daily to achieve the desired results.

Drink a glass of prune juice 1st thing on an empty stomach to ease or rid any constipation. Prune juice containing fiber is highly recommended.

Very young children and babies should not be given over the counter laxatives, they can contain harsh chemicals that may cause even more embarrassment once they begin to work! These chemicals can also increase cramping and have other side effects.

Food should be properly chewed. Hurried meals and meals at odd times should be avoided. Sugar and sugary foods should be strictly avoided. Foods which constipate are all products made of white flour, rice, bread, pulses, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cheese, fleshy foods, preserves, white sugar, and hard-boiled eggs.

Beware of certain foods, some things may constipate one person but not another. Milk, for instance, can be extremely constipating to some, while it gives others diarrhea. Foods that tend to produce gas, such as beans, cauliflower, and cabbage, should be avoided by those whose constipation is the result of a spastic colon, says Dr. Schuster. You should suspect a spastic colon if your constipation is sharply painful.

A common Ayurvedic medicine for constipation is Triphala Churna. It is a powder made by grinding three kinds of herbs. A teaspoon of this powder taken with warm water or milk at the time going to bed is beneficial.

Conventional thinking on laxatives is that if you must take one, find one that's psyllium- or fiber-based. Psyllium is a natural fiber that's much gentler on the system than ingredients in many of the other products available today.

Guava when eaten with seeds provides roughage to diet can give relief from constipation.

Much constipation is caused by lack of physical exercise and poor diet. Every one should have 6-8 8 ounce glasses of liquid every day. The best liquid for preventing constipation and overall good health is water. 20-35 grams of dietary fiber each day is the American Dietetic Association’s adult recommendation. Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Increasing the amount of exercise you get daily can also help to improve bowel movements. Mix dried figs with plum's concentration; add half a teaspoon of paraffin oil, 1 cup of borsch, honey and lemon and drink.