Approximately fourteen percent of people experience chronic constipation at some point in time or another. Some of the major symptoms for this include passing stools fewer than three times a week, a sensation of incomplete evacuation, hard or lumpy stools, feeling blocked, inability to pass stool. The severity and the type of symptoms vary from one person to another
Some people experience constipation rarely, whereas, for others, it is more like a chronic condition. Constipation has several different causes, and it often results in slowing the movement of food via the digestive system. It may be an after-effect of poor diet, dehydration, illnesses, medication, and diseases that hamper the nervous system or any other mental disorder.
Luckily for you, a few foods can help overcome constipation by softening the stool, adding bulk, lowering the gut transit time, and improving the stool passing frequency.
Here, in this article, we will address a few foods that can help you overcome constipation. Let us look at them one by one.
Water
‘Anytime I am constipated, I drink two large glasses of warm water, and it works for me,’ states Julia, an employee with TrueBlueFisherMen.
Well, that’s true. Consuming adequate water does help relieve constipation and ease the symptoms. When you are dehydrated, the intestines are unable to add water to the stools. Consequently, you have lumpy, dry, and hard stools, which can result in constipation.
Beans
Beans have approximately ten grams of fiber per serving, which is more fiber than any other fiber source. Beans are a good mix of soluble and insoluble fiber that can help the food quickly move through the intestine and relieve constipation.
In beans, you can try black-eyed peas, pinto beans, baked beans, kidney beans, lima beans, or garbanzo beans. ‘I add my boiled beans to the casseroles, soups, pasta, or salad to meet my fiber requirement,’ comments Mellisa, a reviewer who has written popular comparison reviews, such as Oneblade vs. Oneblade Pro review.
Prunes
Dried plums or prunes are rich fiber sources. They are famous for a reason. The prunes’ nutrient composition heightens the bulk of the stool and allows it to move out smoothly. A prune has a gram of fiber. They also contain sorbitol and fructans, fermentable sugars, which have a laxative effect.
Apples
Apples are excellent sources of fiber. A medium-sized app with its skin on has about 4.4 grams of fiber, which is about seventeen percent of your recommended daily intake. Approximately 2.8 grams of this fiber is insoluble, and 1.2 grams is soluble fiber, typically in the form of dietary fiber known as pectin.
In your gut, pectin is fermented by bacteria rapidly and forms short-chain fatty acids that pull water into the colon and soften the stool. It lowers the gut transmission time.
A study involving eighty constipated people found that pectin accelerates the stool movement via intestines, betters constipation symptoms, and heightens the number of healthy gut bacteria.
Apples are overall a great way to increase fiber content in your diet and relieve you from constipation.
‘I love apples. I usually eat apples as a whole, in baked goods, salads, or as juices,’ comments Kylie, an associate with MyPlumbersChoice.
Yogurt and Kefir
Dairy products, such as kefir and yogurt, have microorganisms known as probiotics in them. Probiotics are usually called good bacteria, and they can better your gut health and soften the stools. In a 2014 study, it was found that the use of unflavoured probiotic yogurt that has Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus, and acidophilus can treat constipation. Researchers found that consuming 180 mm of yogurt every month for two weeks can shorten the time it takes for you to pass stool in people with constipation.
Sweet potatoes
A medium-baked sweet potato with its skin on has about 3.8 grams of fiber. This can have things moving for you. Sweet potatoes have a high fiber content that can help relieve and prevent constipation. The skin has the maximum amount of fiber. So, leave the skin on for maximum benefits. Baked regular potatoes are a great fiber source. A small baked potato has about three-gram fiber.
‘I bake my potatoes with the skin on and eat them with herbs and spices. It is healthy and gives me good fiber content,’ shares Shirley, a reviewer who did the review for the best fertilizers for orchid trees.
Pulses
In addition to beans, even chickpeas, lentils, and peas are also great fiber sources. Fiber helps lower constipation and promotes good digestion. One hundred grams of cooked pulses can offer about twenty-six percent of your daily fiber needs.
More so, the same serving also has substantial quantities of other nutrients, such as Vitamin B6, zinc, folate, and potassium, that can relieve your constipation.
So, these are the seven best healthy fiber sources to add to your diet to relieve constipation. Have more such suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
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