Top 10 Natural Laxatives To Help Relieve Constipation

The Best Natural Laxatives

1. Eat More Fiber- It is the Best Natural Laxative!

Everybody talks about dietary fiber when it comes to relieve constipation because it is one of the best natural laxatives! You just read, in the previous section, about how fibrous foods make stool bulkier and help it retain more water so that it remains soft. If you do not exactly know what dietary fiber is, be aware that all the edible parts of plants or carbohydrates that you cannot digest are dietary fiber. Thus, fiber is present there in all plant foods too like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. In fact, one of the types of dietary fibers called chitin is also found in the shells of such seafoods as crab, lobster, and shrimp. If you don’t want to have them though, just have more fruits, veggies, grains and roughage. Just don’t try to process them more than you require. Avoid refined and artificial foods, they give you constipation. Here is a list of some foods with high content of fiber. Eat them as natural laxatives.

1. Wheat bran
2. Whole grains (opt for whole grain breads, cereals and pastas)
3. Cereals
4. Seeds
5. Fruits and vegetables (as far as possible, eat them with skin as the skin contains insoluble fiber that makes your stool bulkier and soft)

2. Olive Oil- Consume this Natural Laxative Daily

Olive oil is not just healthy, it is a laxative too! Well that may not sound a logical comparison but yes, olive oil is one of the best natural laxatives. It stimulates the digestive system that helps better functioning of colon. If taken regularly, olive oil not only relieves constipation but even prevents it from coming back.
Get this:

• Olive oil- 1 tsp
• Lemon juice (optional)- 1 tsp

Do this:

• In the morning, on an empty stomach, have a teaspoon of olive oil.
• If you cannot stand the taste of pure oil, add some lemon juice to this and then have it.
• You may do so till you get rid of constipation or can make this a habit so that you never get constipation.

3. Blackstrap Molasses- the Sweet natural laxative!

Blackstrap molasses has in it all the trace minerals that get removed from the sugar cane during refinement for producing sugar. It has magnesium, iron, copper, and calcium but that’s not all. It has manganese, potassium and vitamin B6 too. Did you know that magnesium citrate is used by doctors to treat occasional constipation? Yes they use it as laxative. So, why not use natural laxative magnesium present in blackstrap molasses to treat your constipation!
Get this:

• Blackstrap molasses- 1 tsp initially; 1-2 tbsp eventually
• Warm water or tea (optional)- 1 cup

Do this:

• Whenever you feel the need to take a laxative, consume 1 tsp of blackstrap molasses. If that doesn’t work, have some more upto 1tbsp. You may have upto 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses at a time.
• If you are not a person who likes so much of sweet, add this molasses to a cup of warm water or even your tea and have it.
• It is better to take blackstrap molasses in morning if you are having it as a laxative though you can have it anytime during the day.

4. Grab your Coffee- It’s a Stimulant Natural Laxative

Yes, coffee not only stimulates your brain but also your bowel! Whether or not due to caffeine, is not known. But what is known is that coffee is one of the best natural laxatives you can have. It stimulates the movement of your colonic muscles and promotes peristalsis. Peristalsis is the coordinated contraction and relaxation of your intestinal muscles and it is the cause of your bowel movements. And what more, coffee works very fast. So fast that due to the increased peristalsis, your colon doesn’t get enough time to reabsorb water from the fecal matter which is essential for well-formed stools. So, you need to be prepared for loose stool if you choose coffee as your natural laxative! Just have a strong coffee and forget about constipation.
A word of caution: It is said that too much coffee can dehydrate your body by making you urinate frequently. It is a diuretic too. Research studies, however, say that coffee may have diuretic effects only when consumed in very large amounts, more than 500 to 600 mg a day. A cup or two of coffee won’t do harm to our body! Just don’t over consume it.

5. Aloe Vera – A Gel that’s a Natural Laxative!

Aloe vera gel has powerful laxative compounds. For this reason only, various products are made with it to treat constipation. Some of such products include aloin, aloe-emodin, and barbaloin. The aloe latex contains anthraquinone glycosides that are said to have laxative effects.
Get this:

• Aloe vera gel- 2 tbsp
• Water/ Fruit juice- 1 cup

Do this:

• Take the aloe gel and mix it well with water or fruit juice.
• Have this in the morning.
• If you are buying aloe vera juice instead of getting aloe gel, you don’t need to add water or juice to this. Just have 1 cup of aloe juice in the morning or whenever you feel the need to take laxative.

6. Mineral Oil – the Best Lubricating Natural Laxative

Mineral oil is a lubricant laxative which means; it coats and softens the stool so that it moves out smoothly. This way it helps the stool to slide through the digestive system and relieve constipation in as less as six to eight hours. For laxative purpose, mineral oil needs to be consumed orally. However, don’t use mineral oil as laxative too frequently. This leads to deficiency of vitamins in the body, especially of vitamin K. This oil contributes in decreasing the absorption of vitamin K which is crucial in blood clotting functions. If you are taking blood thinners, you should not at all take mineral oil. Choose some other natural laxative instead.

How to take mineral oil for constipation

Get this:

• Mineral oil- 1-3 tbsp

Do this:

• Have 1 tbsp of mineral oil orally.
• If you don’t get relief from constipation, take 1 more tbsp after about 6-8 hours.
• Repeat again after 6-8 hours, if no relief.
• Don’t take more than thrice.

Warning- Pregnant and breast feeding women should not have this oil. If you are on blood thinning medication or suffer from heart diseases, consult your doctor before taking mineral oil.

7. Castor Oil- A Stimulant Laxative

Castor oil is one of the best stimulant laxatives that works in your small intestine. Castor oil directly works on the mucosa in your intestines and changes the water and electrolyte secretion there. To be more precise, this oil lubricates your bowels without absorbing any moisture from the walls of your intestines. During the process, it cleans the fecal matter. There is one more theory about how Castor oil works as such a fine laxative. When you swallows Castor oil, the ricinoleic acid present in the oil binds to one of the cellular receptors called EP3 molecules. These molecules are there in the smooth muscle cells on the walls of your small intestine. This binding action causes contractions and thus Castor oil promotes bowel movement.

How to take Castor oil for constipation

Get this:

•  Castor oil- 1 tsp
• Fruit juice (optional)- 1 cup

Do this:

• In the morning, on en empty stomach, have a tsp of Castor oil.
• If you cannot have it like this, mix it with some fruit juice like apple or prune or orange juice and then have it.
• You may then expect to have bowel movement within 4-6 hours.

This is a very safe laxative that you can even give to kids. Just give them 1/2 a teaspoon of it instead of 1 tsp.

8. Psyllium Husk is Excellent Natural Laxative

Obtained from the plant ‘Plantago Ovata’, psyllium husk, popularly called Isabgol in India, has been used by Ayurveda since ages as a natural laxative. It is essentially fiber derived from the husk of the psyllium plant’s seeds. It is an insoluble fiber and this makes it bulk forming laxative. Thus, when you consume psyllium husk, it helps the stool soak up water in your intestine and makes bowel movements easier.
Get this:

• Psyllium husk- 1-2 tsp
• Warm water or warm milk- 1 glass

Do this:

• After your dinner, take a glass of warm water or warm milk and add 1-2 tsp of psyllium husk to this. You may give a gap of about 1 hour after having dinner. The key is to have it before bedtime.
• Mix well and drink this warm solution with grainy texture.
• You will find it super easy in the morning when you go for your bowel movement.

9. Prune Juice- the Tasty Natural Laxatives

This is one of the traditionally tried natural laxative, the prune juice. The condition is that prune juice should be unfiltered, the one which still has natural fibers of the prunes it is made from. And if you are not a believer of traditional remedies, a research conducted in 2011 has also approved prunes to be good for treating constipation. In this research, 40 adults with chronic constipation were studied for the effect of prunes versus ispaghula or the psyllium. And it found that briefly, on average, about 6 prunes twice daily seemed to be better at relieving constipation than 11 g psyllium taken twice daily.
Get this:
• Prune Juice- 1-3 cups
Or
• Prunes- about 20 of them
Do this:

• Have a cup of unfiltered prune juice still having some fiber in it, right in the morning on an empty stomach.
• If you don’t find relief even after 4-6 hours, have another cup of such prune juice.
• You may have yet another cup of juice if you still have constipation. Don’t have more than that though.
• Alternatively, have 6-7 prunes at a time, two to three times a day.

10. Epsom Salt as a Natural Laxative

Epsom Salt is basically magnesium sulfate. Magnesium sulfate is used by doctors as a laxative to treat occasional constipation. Magnesium is one of the many minerals that are essential for our various bodily functions. Magnesium particularly is required for supporting our muscles and nerve system. It also increases the amount of water in our intestines which helps stimulate bowel movement. If you remember reading the first section of this article about different types of natural laxatives, you will now know why Epsom salt was categorized as hydrating laxative, because it hydrates the intestines helping in making the stool soft.
Get this:

• Epsom salt- 1 tsp
• Water- 1 glass
• Lemon juice (optional)- 1-2 tsp

Do this:

• Add the Epsom salt to the water and mix well.
• Add lemon juice if using and give it a good stir.
• Have this solution.
• You may have a bowel movement anytime between 1 to 6 hours.
• If you don’t get any result from it, go for a second glass but have it at least after 4 hours.
• Don’t have more than 2 glasses a day.

Precaution: If you are on blood pressure medicines or are a heart patient, consult your doctor before increasing any kind of salt in your daily intake quota. Pregnant women should not follow any remedy without consulting their doctor.

NEXT: VIDEO – Kids Health: Constipation – Natural Home Remedies for Constipation

Source: Rapid Home Remedies.

Author: Marsha Mellow

Hello dear friends. Welcome to Natural Medicine Box. My name is Melody and I love love, love natural medicine. This is my passion and joy of living. I hope you enjoy your visit today and please visit often. Thank you! View all posts by Marsha Mellow