Home Remedies and Natural Treatments for Constipation

by Lee Jacobs on July 6, 2009

Anyone suffering from the condition would be well served to seek out natural treatments for constipation. These home remedies and other natural remedies are a safe, natural and effective way to treat this common and very uncomfortable digestive problem.

In most healthy people, a bowel movement is a daily event. If this isn’t the case for you, constipation is often the cause; the definition of constipation is bowel movements occurring zero to three times per week.

These problems can include impaction of fecal matter, hemorrhoids and even systemic toxicity. In people with a healthy GI tract and good digestion, a bowel movement is something that normally happens every day. If you go more than a day without one on a regular basis, you are more than likely constipated.

In fact, constipation is technically the condition of having three or less bowel movements in the space of a week. Most people who are constipated are able to have a bowel movement eventually, though this is generally accompanied by no small amount of discomfort and pain, since the stool is most often extremely hard and dry.

Constipation sufferers also go through additional discomfort since they commonly only empty the bowel partially – a result of the stool being broken up into many pieces. While constipation is usually caused by lifestyle factors, especially diet, it may also be due to pregnancy, irritable bowel syndrome, hypothyroidism, the overuse of laxatives, illegal and prescription drugs and by conscious attempts to delay bowel movements. There are a number of over the counter and prescription remedies for constipation, though many of these cause side effect and treat only the symptom, doing nothing to prevent a recurrence. Natural treatments for constipation take a different approach, working to correct the root cause and prevent recurrence as well as relieve the immediate symptoms.

In adding certain foods to the diet, there are others that should be staunchly avoided. Some of these include processed sugar, processed flour, fast food, caffeine, alcohol, cheese, and meat. As much as possible, these foods should be replaced with high fiber foods as described above or completely eliminated from the diet.

Replace these foods with healthier alternatives as much as possible, entirely if you can. The foods to avoid include: foods made with refined sugars or flours, meat, alcohol, caffeine, dairy products (with the exception of yogurt; though cheese especially should be avoided). Fast foods are another no-no for in order to prevent constipation and any number of other health reasons.

Natural treatments for constipation are safe, effective and cause no side effects. All it takes to treat and prevent this common and uncomfortable problem is to makes some small adjustments to your lifestyle and diet; and you’ll be rewarded with better health all around!

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