4 foods that help relieve constipation
The severity of constipation varies from person to person, while some experience it rarely, it’s a chronic condition for others.
Certain foods can help reduce constipation and increase food movement in your digestive system because they soften your stool, decrease the gut transit time and increase how frequently you stool too.
Constipation is mostly caused by poor diet, illness, dehydration, mental disorder and nervous system diseases.
Some of the foods that can help you relieve constipation are listed below.
1. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits that are rich in fibre like oranges, grapefruits and mandarins are a refreshing snack and a good source of pectin which can accelerate colonic transit time and reduce constipation. Citrus fruits contain a flavanol called naringenin, which may contribute to the positive effects of citrus fruits on constipation.
2. Apples
One study in 80 people with constipation found that pectin can accelerate the movement of the stool through the intestines, improve symptoms of constipation and increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Apples are an easy way to boost the fibre content of your diet and alleviate constipation. You can eat them whole, juiced or in salads or baked goods.
3. Spinach and other green
Greens such as spinach, Brussels sprouts and broccoli are not only rich in fibre but also great sources of vitamin C, vitamin K and folate.
These greens help add bulk and weight to stools, which makes them easier to pass through the gut. To get spinach into your diet, try adding it to a quiche, pie or soup. Baby spinach or tender greens can be added raw to salads or sandwiches for a fibre boost.
4. Pears
Pears are particularly high in fructose and sorbitol, compared to other fruits. Fructose is a type of sugar that is poorly absorbed in some people. This means that some of it ends up in the colon, where it pulls in water by osmosis, stimulating a bowel movement.
Pears also contain the sugar alcohol sorbitol. Like fructose, sorbitol is not well absorbed in the body and acts as a natural laxative by bringing water into the intestines.
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