NATURAL CONSTIPATION REMEDIES

Medically reviewed by: Horia Marculescu, MD
Photo credits: Licenses / Author
Last updated: 27.07.2021

Natural constipation remedies help relieve constipation by using natural foods, by making use of things that are found in nature or by doing activities that are suited to be done only in nature, in a clean and unpolluted environment.

Nature is one of the most important factors in treating constipation because it provides us with healthy food and clean spaces to take breaks. It also make us relax our mind and our body by breathing clean air, taking advantage of silence and having a good overall feeling of happiness.

The list below shows us several examples of natural remedies that help relieve constipation:

1. CHICORY

Chicory is one of the best natural constipation remedies out there because it`s used for treating constipation and it`s found in nature, all around the world. It has been used since the times of Ancient Egypt for treating hepatobiliary diseases, and can act as a replacement for coffee. For the purpose of treating constipation symptoms, the parts that are used are the base after harvest and the flowers when it blooms.

In its natural state, the flowers and the base of chicory can be easily used for tea to help relieve constipation. Phenolic acid is found in the flower and the base of the plant contains bitter sesquiterpenice lactones.

Chicory has the following properties:

eupeptic
bile (stimulates the evacuation of the gallbladder and also liquefies it)
stimulates the digestive secretions and helps the liver function)
prevents the forming of gallstones
adjusts the glycogenetic function of the liver
stimulates the pancreas function and normalizes glycemia / glycaemia (very useful in diabetes due to volatile oils and the diuretic action of resins)
depurative – cleansing (favors the evacuation of toxins from our body and cleans the blood)
laxative effect (accelerates the evacuation of the matter in the colon and improves digestion)
stimulation of the cerebral function (favors concentration, attention, improves memory)
sustains intense intellectual activities
has overall tonic effects

How to use chicory as a natural remedy?

All products bases on chicory are recommended when dealing with constipation, diabetes, physical and mental fatigue, hepatic and biliary diseases:

fresh leaves can be used into vegetables salad (has beneficial action over the liver, it cleanse the blood and has the effect of an overall detoxification).
fresh juice – can be consumed mixed with milk (1-2 table spoons of juice for a glass of milk – drank on an empty stomach, usually early in the morning or late at night before going to sleep)
infusion – put 2 spoons of chopped chicory and pour over boiled water for infusion and leave it for 2 minutes. (wait and filter it, drink it slow 10 minutes before any meal)
chicory decoction – for liver and kidney treatment (put 15-30 grams/2 cups of mixed grass-roots, leaves, flowers in 1 Liter or 0,25 gallon and boil for 5 minutes. Filter it and drink it before any meal)
people who suffer from intestine inflammation or some king of jam should consult a specialist in plant medicine before consuming chicory.

2. INULIN

The entire chicory plant contains a juice that is made out of 45-60% - inulin. This juice is usually found in the grass-roots of chicory and contains 95% soluble fiber which gives inulin the property of being nourishing, hypocaloric with a very small impact over the glycemic levels, that`s why it can be consumed by people suffering from diabetes.

Inulin can be found in nature in the chicory plant or as a product prepared out of chicory as powder or pills.

Inulin is one of the best natural remedies for constipation because:

it`s easy to use and accessible to everyone
it`s a source of dietary fiber – which helps maintain a good intestinal transit and reliefs constipation
it can maintain fullness for long periods of time
it reduces the appetite without harming our body
it helps slowing digestion and intestinal absorption (helps intestinal transit and the result is the lack of appetite)
it stimulates the efficient absorption of vitamins and minerals from food and favors calcium absorption (favors bones health)
can be a replacement for sugar due to it`s hypocaloric nature
it`s a dietary fiber, it helps lowering the glycemic and cholesterol levels down
it stimulates our bodies natural capacity of defending internally
maintains an optimal level of bacteria in the colon that are beneficial to constipation
it prevents diabetes and colon cancer
inulin can also be naturally found in onion, garlic, chicory base, leek, asparagus

How to use inulin?

1 table spoon in tea, milk, liquids (warm or hot liquids have the best effect)
as a replacement for sugar (in coffee, tea, milk, juices, foods and salads)
1-2 tables spoons in a glass of fruit juice (if you suffer from severe constipation – but only once a day)use inulin daily for 1-2 times a day (but no more than a small table spoon mixed in a liquid)

3. MINERAL WATER (noncarbonated)

Noncarbonated mineral water is one of the most important natural remedies because it influences hydration and our overall intestinal transit. The lack of hydration that leads to constipation is the result of eating bad food combinations and the lack of minerals and nutrients from food and water.

Bad food combinations that stay blocked in the colon and in the small intestines for long periods of time tend to absorb as much water as possible in order to be eliminated. These blocked food can be viewed as a sponge that due to heat and the nature of foods, soaks up any water remains from the intestine, intestine walls and intestine lining. This is a major problem when dealing with constipation.

Some types of food consume large quantities of water in order to be digested properly: bread, flour, sugar, pasta, pizza dough, rice, potatoes, fired potatoes, boiled potatoes, sugar, flour products, cookies, soda, etc. Also, many soda`s and juices do not have mineral water, they contain only water from the local waste water supplier which is low in nutrients and minerals.

How to consume mineral water?

first of all we need to identify the best mineral water brands and sources (natural spring)
we should have a glass of water after each meal, only after we eat. Also, between meals is the best way to have water.
we should have a glass of water after we wake up
we should have mineral water before, during and after we played sports, we worked in a very warm environment, we studied hard, we stayed stressed for long periods of time
keeping hydrated favors the a good intestinal transit and helps good digestion, if we eat bad food combinations
mineral water helps our body relieve constipation with nutrients and minerals that our body can`t produce.

4. FOREST DRUITS

Forest fruits are one of the best natural constipation remedies because they contain very good dietary fiber that help relief constipation and have low levels of sugar (fructose). Also, the amount of vitamins and nutrients contained in them make them one of the best constipation foods out there.

The best forest fruits for constipation relief:

strawberries
wild strawberry
blackberries
blue berry
raspberry
cranberry
sea buckthorn
cobnut
rose hip
cornel
wax cherry
wild nuts

We should eat forest fruits only on an empty stomach early in the morning or at least 4 hours from the last meal. This thing is due to the fact that fruits in general are digested very quickly, in no more than 15 minutes. And if they stay blocked for more than 15 minutes in the intestine, they start to ferment and start producing gas and alcohol, due to humidity and heat. Also, the entire quantity of vitamins and nutrients will disappear due to this fermentation process.

5. VEGETABLE OIL

Vegetable oils like olive oil or sunflower oil are one of the types of food that makes the liver secrete digestive enzymes for a better digestion. Biliary secretion is one of the most important parts of digestion because this secretion helps with the assimilation of all nutrients and vitamins from the food we eat.

Vegetable oils that are made by using only cold pressing techniques are good natural constipation remedies because they help digestion without any muscle of physical activity. Also, the nutrients that are contained in these oils bring a contribution to our everyday nutritional need.

How to eat oil the right way?

oil should be used in salads as much as possible (at least 1 table spoon)
we can take a half of table spoon of olive oil or other vegetable oil just to start the liver secrete enzymes before any meal (but the truth is that oil alone is not so good)
we should eat oil in every day (in food, salads)

6. SWIMMING

Swimming is one of the sports recommended when dealing with constipation. It can be considered one of the best natural remedies for constipation because it puts all muscles at work, especially in the abdomen area when swimming between the waves of salt water. This exercise forces food blocked in the intestines to move because intestinal muscles are suddenly forced to act.

Swimming is also a stress relief because it relaxes our mind, our muscles and our overall mental shape. This combination of muscle movement and stress relief helps relax the intestines area which is full of nervous connections. This is one of the best exercises to relieve constipation.

How often should we swim?

Not all of us are near the seaside so taking a break every month to go to the seaside is the least amount of times to go there. Ideally we should go at least 2 weekends a month to relax ourselves when dealing with constipation.

Also, if you can`t go to the seaside, the local swimming pool or spa should have the same stress relief effects. We should stay for at least an hour in water to swim or just to move between the waves. This is the necessary time to put all muscles around the abdomen area relax and get moving.

8. SLEEP

The lack of sleep is one of the major factors of stress. A tired body can`t work properly and the problem is that all its functions related to digestion are slowed or don`t work in their optimal parameters. The combination of stress and lack of sleep is one of the most important constipation causes on a long term, that does damage not only to constipation, but also to our entire body.

Considering sleeping well on a long term is a very good natural remedy because:

it helps our body to recover after long periods of stress, hard work or long periods of physical effort and intense mental activities
it relaxes our body and mind
it favors rapidly regenerating all muscles tissues with the help of proteins and essential fat acids
it relaxes the intestines and favors a good intestinal transit
it favors a good digestion of different types of food, especially for the assimilation of vitamins and nutrients from
It favors the digestion of hard to digest foods like meat, cheese and eggs

How should we sleep?

we need to have at least 8 hours of sleep
we need to have a clean and noise proof bedroom
we need all light to be blocked (so consider buying opaque drapes to make the room as dark as possible)
don`t eat fruits before sleep
put away your phone and tablet
eat a skimmed yogurt or some vegetables before sleep

Pollution, noise, chemicals, stress, pressure from peers and the speed we all live in the big cities forces us to stay far away from mother nature that provides us with so many good things. This is a major problem because staying blocked for long periods of time in polluted places with stress and lack of natural and healthy food is one of the main causes of constipation.

Also, another problem is that, polluted places with noise and chemicals forces our body to endure all these harmful things when we play sports, when we work or when we study.

The lack of healthy food and the appearance of “food deserts” is another major problem when dealing with constipation because healthy food is not accessible to the majority of us. We have to do so much effort in order to get some food to relieve constipation. This thing can be considered a major constipation cause and in order to treat this cause, we should take advantage of all the natural constipation remedies out there.

The best natural remedies are the ones that can easily be found in nature or can be the product of something found in nature with less refinement or processing. Some examples of these can be: fruits, chicory or tea. There are many other examples that are related to nature such as foods (vegetables, fruits, etc.), activities (hiking, camping, sports, sun bathing bird-watching, etc.).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Sebastian D., and I am the senior editor of constipationguide.com. With the help of my mentor, Dr. Horia Marculescu, I decided to create a practical guide to constipation relief.. read more