Constipation is a common issue affecting millions each year, but many people rely on prescription medications to find relief. Instead, let’s explore how you can reverse constipation with an array of dietary treatments, supplements, medications, and non-medication interventions.
Dietary Treatment for Constipation
First, take a serious look at the food you eat concerning the amount of fiber you consume. In terms of preventing (and reversing) chronic disease, it is now recommended to consume 75 grams of fiber daily. This corresponds with the recommendation to consume nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily, which should put you past the 75 grams of fiber per day goal.
Start incorporating foods such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, artichoke, pears, and soybeans into your diet. All of these provide high levels of dietary fiber.
Fermented milk (kefir) and other fermented foods, along with a probiotic supplement, can establish optimal bowel flora (bacteria), which is vital for bowel-wall health. Avoid grains containing gluten protein and replace refined sugars, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and other food chemicals with healthier options.
Natural Supplements
Fiber supplements like Metamucil and Citrucel can soften and bulk up your stool with water, so they do not become compacted. This helps your colon move stool more easily.
Herbal preparations can also be an effective solution for ongoing use. Try cascara sacrada or senna, both of which stimulate bowel wall peristalsis. Other herbs that can have laxative effects are cayenne, ginger, fennel, dandelion root, and chickweed.
Medications
There are various over-the-counter osmotic medications to get your bowels moving. Consider Fleet enemas, milk of magnesia, or Fleet Phospho Soda oral saline laxatives for short-term relief. For longer-term use (six to 12 months), you can try calcium channel activator Amitiza as a prescription bowel stimulant medication.
Stool softeners such as Colace and Docusate are often minimally effective. Choose bowel stimulants like Dulcolax and Senokot as better alternatives.
Non-Medication Interventions
If supplements or medications are still not correcting the problem, consider biofeedback training to improve perianal and perineum muscles involved in stool elimination over time. Surgery can also be helpful to correct rectal prolapse or an inactive bowel segment.
Not Always Simple
Reversing constipation isn’t always a simple fix. Dietary intervention, supplements, medications used wisely, and physical exercise (even walking) usually make significant improvements to the problem. Start by looking at potential causes and introduce dietary changes as needed. In time, you should find a solution that works for you.
