Home Remedies For - Constipation

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Using home remedies for constipation is simple and a cost effective method of dealing with this unpleasant and very often painful condition. Of course, if your problem results as a side effect of another medication that you are taking, you should talk with your doctor before attempting to treat yourself. However, if you are not taking any specifically prescribed medication then solving the constipation problem yourself will be fairly straightforward.

From the medical standpoint, if you just have trouble occasionally or do not have a bowel movement every day, you will likely not be diagnosed with constipation. Constipation is defined as having small, dry, painful bowel movements less than three times a week. Nevertheless, most people consider that a daily bowel movement is healthy and will be concerned if they are having anything less than that.

Should your problem only occur at randomly, then you may want to consider home remedies for constipation; which can be bought over the counter at your local pharmacy or health food shop. Most products purchased for this condition contain senna pods which are extremely effective for the treatment of constipation.

However, be careful not to use laxatives too often. The human body can easily become 'addicted' to laxatives and so if used too often the outcome will be that your body will be unable to function normally without them. Consequently, if this happens the problem will be made worse rather than being improved or eliminated altogether.

Constipation, it should be noted, can quite easily be avoided by choosing a diet that is high in fiber. Of course there are some underlying medical conditions that would preclude certain people from consuming fiber but outside of this situation, increasing your intake of fiber will in most cases totally eliminate the constipation permanently.

Fiber is an indigestible substance found in all plants. It forms a soft mass in the stomach that passes through the body, carrying other waste products with it to sweep them out through the bowel.

Many people believe that the best and most natural way to get more fiber is to add whole grains, vegetables and whole fruits to your diet. Choose whole grain bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white, etc. Eat fruit rather than drinking fruit juice (there is no fiber in the juice).

In my opinion however, the most efficient and effective means of ensuring that you get enough fiber in your diet is to take a supplement. Regardless, of how hard an individual may try to eat more fiber it is almost, in my view anyway, impossible to consume enough fiber eating normal meals. For example an apple contains 2g of fiber and the human body really needs something in the area of 40g of fiber per day. Other foods such as vegetables will also only provide fiber in small amounts as per the apple. Therefore it is just too much to try to up your intake of fiber purely through the food that you eat.

There are a few good fiber supplements such as ground flaxseed (also known as linseed) and psyllium to name just two. The best way to use flaxseed is to buy whole seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. Once they are ground, keep them in the refrigerator so that they do not become rancid.

Flaxseed contains plenty of fiber plus essential Omega 3 fatty acids. One tablespoon per day added to meals and dishes such as soups should help you. It acts as a thickener with a gloopy consistency when heated, so it needs to be mixed into something to be palatable.

Many people used to take bran however research has determined that bran should not be used as it removes minerals from the body as well as waste which will of course leave you deficient of vital minerals.

Other foods that can assist with constipation include dried fruit as they also contain fiber; prunes especially will be an effective solution. Other than this, you may prefer to soak some of the dried fruit overnight in some cold water, then eat them in the morning. This is another method to alleviate symptoms of constipation. Interesting, this is one of the best known home remedies, probably one from Grandma herself but there is no doubt about its efficiency in clearing away the issue of constipation.

Learn more about the health benefits of fiber supplements.