Apples are an easy way to boost the fiber content of your diet and alleviate constipation. You can eat them whole on their own or slice them up to add to salads or baked goods.
Some of the recommended foods for constipation include both types of fiber. For example, potatoes and apples have soluble fiber inside, and insoluble fiber in the outer skin.
Dried fruits, such as dates, figs, prunes, apricots, and raisins, are another great source of dietary fiber that acts as constipation relief. “Prunes, in particular, are great because they not only are high in fiber, they also contain sorbitol, which is a natural laxative,” Prather says.
Bananas are a fairly good source of fiber, which may help relieve constipation in some people.
Eating a lot of high-fat meats, dairy products and eggs, sweets, or processed foods may cause constipation. Not enough fluids. Water and other fluids help fiber work better, so not drinking enough liquids can contribute to harder stools that are more difficult to pass.
Try yogurt with probiotics, live bacteria that's good for your digestive system. It may help relieve constipation.
“Oats are loaded with soluble fiber, which is a type of fiber that allows more water to remain in the stool,” says Smith. “This makes the stool softer and larger, and ultimately easier to pass.”
You may think that cutting back on food will help “clear out” your colon. That's not the case. Do this: Eating, especially healthy whole foods that contain fiber, helps your body move stool.
Insoluble fiber is the most beneficial for softening stools. It does not dissolve in water and helps food pass more quickly from the stomach to the intestines. Wholewheat flour, nuts, beans, and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes all contain insoluble fiber.
Potato chips, pretzels, cookies, pastries, and other processed snack foods have high salt, processed sugar, and fat content, and are low in water content. “All these factors combined cause constipation,” Dr. Lee says. These snack foods are also often poor sources of dietary fiber.
Foods that help ease constipation
Consider adding some the following fibre-rich foods to your diet to help ease constipation: High fibre cereals such as: bran flakes, Weetabix, porridge, muesli and shredded wheat.
Apples and pears: These fruits contain high levels of water, which can help to ease digestion and prevent constipation. To get the most benefit from apples and pears, a person should eat them raw and whole, with the skin intact. These fruits contain several compounds that improve digestion, including: fiber.
Beans also contain good amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which help ease constipation in different ways. Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel-like consistency, softening stool and making it easier to pass ( 21 ).
Of the patients assigned to kiwifruit, 45% received relief from their chronic constipation. Although this was lower than prunes and psyllium, there was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of responding to the three treatments.
Blueberries help to prevent constipation and maintain regularity for a healthful digestive tract because of their fiber content. Dietary fiber is also commonly recognized as an important factor in weight loss and weight management by functioning as a “bulking agent” in the digestive system.
One medium baked sweet potato with skin has 3.8 grams of fiber (most of it is in the skin, so leave the skin on!), which can help prevent constipation. Regular baked potatoes with skin have about 3 grams of fiber and are also good options to prevent constipation.
Constipation
Eating high fiber foods, such as strawberries, helps maintain regular bowel movements. Fiber promotes stool movement through the intestinal tract, which helps prevent constipation. Experts also advise increasing water intake to promote regularity.
Other foods you can eat are: Fish, chicken, turkey, or other lean meats. These do not have fiber, but they will not make constipation worse. Snacks such as raisin cookies, fig bars, and popcorn.
Dairy products that may reduce constipation
Raw milk is considered by many natural health practitioners to be more easily digested than the more widely available pasteurised varieties, and may be helpful in relieving constipation and other digestive problems.
In general, bulk-forming laxatives, also referred to as fiber supplements, are the gentlest on your body and safest to use long term. Metamucil and Citrucel fall into this category.
While chocolate is constipating to some people, cocoa or components of it might actually help with constipation in other people.