Home remedies for constipation

Constipation is a common disorder of the digestive system where bowels do not move frequently, or are not fully cleared when they move. This is the main source of a myriad of diseases as the remaining bowel produces toxins that pass through the intestines to the bloodstreams effecting all parts of the body. 

Symptoms

Most common symptoms of constipation are:

a) Stool is hard, difficult, and painful to pass.

b) Infrequent urge to empty.

Straining to excrete stool may cause hemorrhoids in the rectum. In chronic stages of constipation, the abdomen may become inflated and diffusely soft and cramp, intermittently with enhanced bowel sounds.

The effects of constipation can result in:

a) Coated tongue

b) Foul breath

c) Headache

d) Depression 

e) Loss of appetite

f) Giddiness

g) Diarrhea

h) Acidity

i) Lumber pain

j) Heartburn

k) Insomnia, etc.

Major Causes of Constipation

1. Hardening of the feces can be caused by:

a) Insufficient intake of fibrous foods

b) Inadequate fluid intake or dehydration

c) Usage of diuretic drugs, or any intake that has high quantities of iron, calcium or aluminum. 

2. Paralysis/slowed transit, where peristaltic action is diminished or absent resulting in impediment in fecal movement can be caused by:

a) Underactive thyroid gland

b) Low potassium content in blood

c) Injured anal sphincter (patulous anus)

d) Medications, such as loperamide, opioids like codeine & morphine or certain tricyclic antidepressants

e) Severe illness due to other causes

f) Acute porphyria (a rare inherited condition)

g) Lead poisoning

h) Lactose Intolerance

i) Faulty lifestyle, etc.

3. Diverticula, that can be caused by:

a) Bowel tumors or tumors in the bowel region.

4. Obstructed defecation 

5. Psychosomatic constipation that can be caused by:

a) Anxiety 

b) Unfamiliarity with surroundings while excreting

6. Smoking or nicotine addiction cessation  as nicotine has laxative effect

7. Surgeries of the digestive system, childbirth etc.

8. Severe dehydration

9. Constipation in infants can be caused by:

a) Switching from breast milk to bottle feeds, or to solid meals

a) b Potty training anxiety

10. Hirschsprung’s disease, which is a birth defect. In this condition the child has a nerve cell defect that affects communication between the brain and bowels.

Home Remedies for Constipation

1. Eat lots of fruits except banana and jackfruit. Some of the best fruits for treatment of constipation are as follows:

a) Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos): Bael is one of the best known natural laxatives. Intake of Bael  not only  cleans and tones up the bowels but also removes old accumulated fecal matter if normally taken for a couple of months.  Ideally 60gm of bael before dinner is enough for a grown up man.

b) Guava: Eat guava with seeds. This will provide the roughage needed in the bowel tract for smooth movement of bowel. 2 raw ripe/semi ripe guava is enough for a day.

c) Pear: Pears are known as excellent healers for chronic constipation. If on a diet of only pears for a couple of days, remarkable results are achieved. For normal patients a pear with breakfast or after dinner is recommended.

d) Orange: Oranges stimulate peristaltic activity in the bowels and helps in the prevention of accumulation of residual feces in the colon.

2. Eat lots of vegetables. Vegetables contain cellulose that provides roughage to the diet critical for smooth and regular bowel movement. Some of the best known vegetables for curing constipation are:

a) Papaya: A mid-sized papaya in breakfast will provide the necessary laxative

b) Spinach: This is the king of all vegetables. It’s the best food for the entire digestive system.  It contains the best organic material for:

i. Cleaning the intestinal tract

ii. Regenerate the tract for healing the injuries caused by hard feces

iii. Reconstruction of damaged tract.

Raw spinach juice of around 100-150 ml mixed with exact quantity of water, if taken twice a day will cure almost all types of constipation, no matter how chronic.

3. Hot lime water: Squeeze half lime in a glass of hot water and add half teaspoon of salt taken for a few days proves to be an excellent remedy for constipation.

Important: In order to avoid constipation eat healthy. Eat foods that have lot of fibers in them like wholegrain cereals, barn, green vegetables, honey etc. Chew food properly and maintain food intake timings. Avoid eating untimely meals.  Exercise and be physically active.