Home Remedies for Constipation

However, three stools or less per week refers to constipation in medical terms, but you may have found some trouble if you have missed only for a day. Constipation definition does not apply to every person equally; it depends on person’s unique lifestyle as well. Some people are feeling constipation if they have missed passing stool for a day and other pass stools after two or three days.

More relevance of definition depends on the trouble and discomfort of a person with his bowel. Passing dry and hard stool or irregular bowel movements may refer to constipation.

Bloating, gas, feeling uncomfortable with bowel and sluggishness are common symptoms of constipation.

Before we discussing about home remedies for constipation, let us talk about the underlying main causes of constipation.

Common Causes

1. Taking less fiber diet
2. Less water intake
3. Skipping meal or irregular eating habits
4. Travelling
5. Lack of physical efforts, exercises or activities
6. Stress or Anxiety

These six factors are common causes for constipation.

Uncommon causes

• Increased intake of dairy products
• Overuse of stimulant laxatives
• Calcium supplements
• Aluminum containing antacids
• Medicine side effects – anti-depressants, Iron pills, narcotics
• Pregnancy
• Diseases – Parkinson’s disease, depression, irritable bowel syndrome

Constipation Home Remedies

Constipation home remedies are easily available solution at your home. You can follow these homemade remedies to get rid of acute & chronic constipation fast.

Here are some constipation remedies, which can help you to get rid of constipation.

Carrot

Take 250 grams carrots and eat them by chewing. You should eat carrots on empty stomach daily.

250 grams of carrots contain 7.5 grams of total fiber from which 3.9 grams is insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is essential to keep bowel healthy. It also helps in constipation. (1)

In addition to fiber content, carrots have a property to eliminate toxins and cleanse the colon. It helps in expelling stool out by moistening and softening it.

In children, you can give carrot juice.

Fennel seeds

However, fennel seeds are also remedy for diarrhea, but the adjuvant is different. You have to take this remedy with warm water for constipation and with cold water for diarrhea. Temperature of water can alter the functions of fennel seeds. It is the best tip for getting rid of constipation. (2, 3)

Fennel seed tea

You can also prepare fennel tea for getting rid of constipation.

1. Take a teaspoon of fennel seeds.
2. Crush them to make powder.
3. Now, take one glass of water and add crushed fennel seeds.
4. Boil it and simmer the water until it remains half.
5. Strain the mixture and separate fennel tea.
6. Let it become warm from hot.
7. Then add one teaspoon of honey and drink this tea.

This tea also helps you to get rid of flatulence, gas and bloating. (4)

Fenugreek

Fenugreek leaves and seeds both are effective home remedy for constipation. You can either eat fenugreek veggie or take 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seed powder. Both have similar effects. You should use warm water as adjuvant.

Ginger tea

Ginger has beneficial effects in case of mucus in the stool. Sometimes, people have a constipation problem in which a thick stool, mucus, sticky stool and bad smell in stool are main concerns. Ginger tea is a solution for them. (5)

1. Take a two half-inch slices of fresh ginger.
2. Crush them and put them in a glass of water.
3. Boil the water with ginger and simmer until the half of water remains.
4. Add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper to enhance taste and effectiveness of ginger tea.
5. Drink this eat by sipping like a tea.

You can also add brown sugar in the tea for enhancing the taste. This tea also helps to cleansing your colon naturally. It is a powerful herb for herbal colon cleanse.

Lemon juice & brown sugar

1. Take a teaspoon of lemon juice, brown sugar and a glass of water.
2. Add lemon juice and brown sugar in a glass of water.
3. Mix the ingredients well.

This home remedy is very easy to take and tasty, so children will like this too. It helps in acute as well as in chronic constipation.

If brown sugar is not available in your nearby store, then you can also drink lemon water at night just before sleeping. It also works to remove constipation. You should use warm water in this home remedy.

Figs

Figs are effective constipation remedy and a natural mild laxative. It is also beneficial for chronic constipation. People with chronic constipation problems should include figs in their diet. (6, 7)

You can either eat five ripe figs or eat soaked figs with its water. You should eat this remedy in the morning on empty stomach. You can also take figs in following ways:

1. Take five figs and a glass of cow’s milk.
2. Boil the milk with figs.
3. Drink this milk and boiled eat figs at night just before sleep.

You can try another following remedy.

• Take five figs and soak them in a glass of warm water overnight.
• Drink water and figs on empty stomach in early morning.

This remedy also helps to get rid of constipation.

Mustard oil abdominal massage

Take warm mustard oil and do massage the abdominal area in circular motion clockwise.

You should do this massage in morning on empty stomach and at night just before sleep.

Just remember one thing that you should eat food in evening at least 3 hours before abdominal massage.

Abdominal massage lowers the severity of abdominal symptoms, increases bowel movements and helps in constipation. (8)

Molasses

Blackstrap Molasses is a mild laxative and helps in mild constipation.

1. Take a glass of warm milk and add one teaspoon of blackstrap molasses.
2. Mix it with milk and drink this mixture before bedtime.

You should not take this remedy on a daily basis. Secondly, if you are overweight or obese, you should not take this remedy because it is very high in calories.

Prune juice

Prune juice is a natural solution for constipation. It acts as mild laxative and cleanses the colon. The active constituent present in prune juice is dihydrophenylisatin, which is main constituent that helps relieving constipation. It increases peristaltic movements and its sugar content in the prune helps to draw fluids into the intestines. Thus, it helps the passage of stools out of the body. (9, 10)

You can drink one glass of prune juice everyday for getting relief from chronic constipation.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a natural remedy for constipation. It is mild laxative and helps in cleansing colon. Its juice helps you to have frequent bowel movements. It makes the stool softer and reduces your dependence on laxatives. (11)

In India, Aloe Vera juice is mixed with Amla juice. This juice blend is used for gas, flatulence, abdominal distention and constipation.

Simple Aloe Vera remedy:

1. Take Fresh Aloe Vera leaf and extract its transparent gel.
2. Eat 1 to 2 teaspoon of gel on empty stomach in the morning.

Furthermore, Aloe vera helps in alleviating abdominal symptoms including stomach pain, abdominal discomfort, gas, flatulence and helps in IBS. (12)

Gulkand (Rose Petal Jam)

Gulkand is prepared from rose petals of rose plants such as Rosa Damascena, Rosa centifolia etc. Flowers of rose have mild laxative property. Rose petals help drawing water content in feces and increase the frequency of defecation. (13, 14)

Gulkand is a traditional recipe in India as well as an ayurvedic remedy for constipation, burning sensation, acidity and GERD.

Gulkand (Rose petal jelly) preparation method

You can also add honey in the gulkand, but ayurveda suggest adding honey after its preparation.

Method

1. Crush fresh rose petals to make paste and grind sugar to make powder. You can also add sugar without making its powder. It will dissolve by itself in a few days.
2. Mix rose petal paste and sugar powder.
3. Put this mixture in a glass pan and keep under the direct sunlight. It may require keeping under sunlight for a few days.
4. If you are in hurry, take the mixture in a stainless steel pan, heat the pan for a few minutes, so that sugar content dissolves, and mixed well with crushed rose petals.
5. Now, your gulkand is ready to eat. You can eat Gulkand one teaspoon with milk before bedtime.

It is a mild laxative and ayurvedic physicians recommend this remedy in constipation during pregnancy. No other remedy is recommended in pregnancy expect Rose Petal jam.

Spinach juice

Drink a cup of spinach juice it helps in constipation. You can also give spinach to your baby over age of 4 months. Spinach juice should not be stained in fine strainer because it may decrease its fiber content. However, eating spinach will be better than spinach juice, but juice gives instant results in constipation.

The laxative action of spinach is due to its fiber content. It also improves the peristaltic movements of intestines and helps in moving stool. This action is more apparent with spinach juice.

Raisin

Eating raisins helps to maintain digestive system health. It helps moving stool from the intestines to colon and eases in defecation. Mucilage content of raisin softens and moistens the stool. (15)

Pregnant women can also eat raisins if they suffer with constipation.

How to use raisins in constipation

1. Take 20 grams raisins and 200 ml milk.
2. Crush raisins and add them in milk.
3. Boil the milk with raisins and strain the milk.

Drink this raisin milk at night before sleep or take it in empty stomach in the morning.

Chronic Constipation Remedies

The following remedies work in chronic constipation. You can use them for getting rid of chronic constipation.

Herbal remedy

If you are suffering from chronic constipation, then you can try following wonder remedy.

Ingredients

Make powder of each ingredient and mix them. You should take 1 teaspoon this mixture with milk. It helps in acute as well as chronic constipation.

In chronic constipation, you might require to take this remedy for 2 to 4 weeks.

Flaxseed oil (Linseed oil)

Research studies show that flaxseed oil consumption can help getting rid of chronic constipation. It increases the bowel movements and reduces symptoms like bloating and abdominal pain.

You can start from 1/2 tsp. flaxseed oil in your diet and then increase its amount to 1 tsp. twice a day. After a month, you should start tapering the dosage from one teaspoon to half twice a day and then half tsp once a day. After a few days, stop using flaxseed oil. It would help in chronic constipation.

Wheat grass

Wheat grass is an excellent remedy for constipation. It also has many health benefits, so it is a healthy home remedy. Wheat grass powder as well as its juice both helps with constipation problem.

1. Take one teaspoon of wheat grass powder.
2. Mix it with water and drink this mixture on empty stomach.

You should take this remedy regularly daily for at least 3 months for chronic constipation.

Orange juice

Orange juice is helpful in constipation, but just a technique of taking this juice is different.

You need to take orange juice in the early morning on empty stomach for at least 30 days to get rid of chronic constipation.

It also improves digestion and helps in loss of appetite. It is heart friendly as well, so if you have high blood cholesterol levels, then you should drink orange juice every day.

Castor oil

If your stool becomes hard and dry, then you might castor oil. Castor oil is a laxative, which helps in mild to severe constipation. (16, 17)

How should I take castor oil?

There are several methods, you can take 1 to 4 teaspoons with warm milk or to enhance its taste, you can also take it with fruit juices.

Caution

You should not take castor oil regularly, as it can cause some side effects. You should reserve this remedy if other remedies do not work for you. Abdominal cramps and nausea are very common side effects of castor oil. (18)