Constipation prevention
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Fiber in the diet
Eat fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. Choose a lot of your favorite high-fiber fruits and vegetables, including legumes, whole grains, and bread. Try to consume from 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily. Experiment to find out the characteristics of fruits and vegetables that give you a laxative effect. Remember to add fiber to your diet to prevent constipation gradually to help reduce intestinal gas and bloating.
Do not eat foods that are low in fiber or reduce them. Foods high in fat and sugar and those that are usually low in fiber, such as ice cream, cheese and processed foods, can cause or aggravate constipation.
Make sure you have enough fiber in your diet. Most adults do not eat enough fiber. You should consume about 18 grams of fiber per day. To prevent constipation, you can increase your fiber intake even more by consuming:
- fruits
- vegetables
- wholegrain rice
- whole grain pasta
- wholemeal bread
- flax seeds
- nuts
- oats
Eat more foods with insoluble fibers - they will make your bowel movements regular, because they more easily help food pass through the digestive system. High fiber foods can make your stomach filled longer and longer, giving you a feeling of fullness.
If you increase fiber intake, it is important to increase it gradually. A dramatic increase in fiber intake can make you feel your belly bloated. You can also produce more uncontrolled gases (flatulence) and feel stomach cramps.
Drink plenty of fluids
The exact amount of water and other fluids that you should drink every day to prevent constipation varies and depends on your age, gender, health status, activity level and other factors. Limit your caffeine intake, which can worsen the symptoms of constipation, causing dehydration.
Exercise regularly
Participation in regular physical exercises, such as walking, cycling or swimming, can help stimulate bowel work. At least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week is recommended for people with constipation.
Maintaining mobility and physical activity will significantly reduce the risk of constipation. Ideally, do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.
Not only does regular exercise reduce the risk of constipation, but they also leave you feeling fresh, healthy, and improving your mood, energy levels, and overall physical fitness.
Pay attention to the call of nature
Do not ignore the urge to defecate. The longer you hesitate to not go to the toilet, the more water is drawn from your stool into the intestinal wall and the harder it becomes to defecate due to dry stool.
Be careful when injecting stimulant laxatives.
The habitual use of laxatives, such as Correctol and Dulcolax, can make your large intestine dependent on them, and may require an increase in the dose of laxatives, ultimately leading to bowel problems. In some cases, for relief, you should try saline laxatives, such as milk of magnesia, which draws water into the colon from food to lubricate the stool. Avoid giving children laxatives without the approval of the doctor.
Is constipation associated with diet?
Constipation can be linked to your diet if you answer no to more than one of these questions.
- Do you eat fruit every day to prevent constipation?
- Do you have the habit of drinking a glass of liquid at each meal and at least one glass in between meals?
- Do you eat vegetables every day?
- Do you use whole grain bread or cereal products daily?
- Do you eat regularly and leisurely well cooked meals in a relaxed atmosphere?
[12]
Here are some tips for preventing constipation.
- Eat at least 2 servings of fruit per day with one of them in raw form, including skin and seeds.
- Eat 2 servings of vegetables a day and raw vegetables at least every other day. Use raw vegetables for snacks to prevent constipation. Some delicious vegetables include turnips, radishes, cabbage, carrots, and celery.
- Check your fluid intake. You should receive at least 8 glasses of liquid a day, including milk, water, juices, tea, or coffee.
- Use whole-grain breads and cereals, rather than thinly sliced white bread made from refined flour or heavily chopped cereals. Examples of such cereals are bran, chopped wheat, whole grains, oatmeal, and muesli.
- Use baked potatoes, or sweet or white, and not mashed potatoes. Potato chips are a good source of fiber for the prevention of constipation.
- Use popcorn, nuts and dried fruit for snacks, not chips or french fries.
- Plan your regular meal hours, giving yourself enough time — at least 20 minutes — to eat.
- Eat food slowly.
- Do your compulsory exercise standards a day to prevent constipation.
- Set aside a regular time each day to have access to the toilet when there is no rush or disruption in the day’s schedule.
- Get enough rest.
- It can be very useful to drink a warm / hot drink before going to the toilet - this contributes to a good stool.
- Use fruit or fruit products, not cakes, pies, cookies or cake for dessert.
- Include prune juice or prunes in your diet to prevent constipation.
- Consult your doctor if constipation is still a problem.
[13]
Useful recipes for constipation prevention
Beans: 8-10 grams of fiber per serving
Boiled beans - 1/2 cup
Boiled lentils - 1/2 cup
Lima beans cooked by boiling - 1/2 cup
Cooked Pinto Beans - 1/2 Cup
White beans, boiled - 1/2 cup
Vegetables: 2-4 grams of fiber per serving
Cooked Broccoli - 3/4 cup
Cooked Brussels Sprouts - 1/2 cup
Cooked cabbage - 1/3 cup
Carrots, raw - 1 medium carrot
Corn - 1/2 cup
Peas - 1/2 cup
White potatoes - 3/4 cup
Cooked Spinach - 1/4 cup
Cooked squash (summer or winter) - 1/2 cup
Fruits and berries: 2-3 grams of fiber per serving
Apple - 1 small
Applesauce - 1/2 cup
Banana - 1 medium
Fresh blackberry - 1/4 cup
Pear - 1 medium
Fresh strawberries - 3/4 cup
Orange - 1 medium
Bread: 1-3 grams of fiber per serving
Bread - 1 slice
Bread, whole wheat - 1 slice
Crackers, 2 things
Whole Wheat Crackers - 6 Crackers
Muffin - 1 Bun
Popcorn - 1 cup
Rice, brown, cooked by the method of cooking - 1/2 cup
Cereals: 1-5 grams of fiber per serving
Bran - 5 teaspoons
Crispy bran - 5 teaspoons
Raisins - 5 teaspoons
Oat bran - 5 teaspoons
Cracker from crushed wheat (1-1 / 2 to 2 pieces of biscuits)
Prevention of the risks of constipation in various diseases
Preventing constipation will depend on the risk of other diseases. For example, a patient who has intestinal cancer, diabetes and regularly takes opioid painkillers is at an extremely high risk of constipation.
This occurs because tumors of the internal organs can squeeze the intestines or prevent it from working, diabetes mellitus tends to damage the sensory fibers and slows down intestinal motility (its movement). And the further use of opioids makes the intestinal motility slower and increases the tone of the anal sphincter.
Preventing constipation for painkillers
The goal of patients taking opiates is to achieve a full bowel movement at least every 2 to 3 days without tension and hard stools. However, as noted above, the frequency of bowel movements is less important than comfortable evacuation.
To prevent constipation induced by painkillers, patients should properly follow the laxative regimen prescribed for them.
Using low doses of opioids will not provoke constipation, because the dose that contributes to constipation is about 4 times less than the usual dose of pain medication.
You can use the following remedies for constipation, one at a time for a week or so, and see their result. If this does not relieve you from constipation, you can try another method.
Natural remedies for constipation
Drink 1 liter of water in the morning before you eat or drink something.
Drink a glass of warm water with 1 tsp. Honey and juice of 1/2 lemon / lime in the morning before you eat or drink something.
Drink 1/2 teaspoon of honey, diluted in 1/2 cup of warm water 2-3 times a day to treat constipation.
Licorice is a natural laxative. Chew a few sticks of licorice 2 times a day.
Take 3 teaspoons of psyllium seedlings, diluted in milk or warm water during sleep. This will give you a lot of relief and over the course of time this remedy can cure constipation. Soak the seeds of plantain for one day and overnight in half a glass of water. The next morning, mashed potatoes need to get and drain the water. Drink 1 teaspoon of this water four times a day.
Mix 1/2 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of orange juice and drink to cure constipation.
Put a few curry leaves (curry patta) in hot water for a few minutes and then remove. Mix them with honey and eat.
Eat at least 350 grams of grapes per day. The combination of the properties of cellulose, sugar and organic acids in grapes makes it an excellent natural laxative. Grapes tones the stomach and intestines and relieves most of the symptoms of chronic constipation. When fresh grapes are not available, raisins are soaked in water - this tool can be used for constipation or its prevention. People with diabetes should not undergo grape therapy.
Put Senna pods (6 to 12 for adults and 3 to 6 for children) in water and drink this tea.
Drink 1 tbsp. Corn syrup, it is added to 4 glasses of water.
Mix castor oil (about half a teaspoon) with an equal amount of honey and drink daily.
Juice as a laxative: Mix 1 cup of tomato juice, 1/4 cup of carrot juice and 1/2 cup of sauerkraut juice and drink every day.
Try colon cleansing herbs
Sometimes food waste can accumulate in the colon, preventing regular bowel movements and reducing the effect of digestion. Choose a cleansing method that uses psyllium fiber - they tend to act in the idea of a brush, sweeping the colon and ridding it of the effects of waste.
Prevention of constipation in young children
Give the child 2 teaspoons once a day of homemade ghee, mixed with 1/8 teaspoon of sugar and black currant juice, which have stayed the night before.
Soak the raisins in 6-8 spoons of hot water. When it cools down, crush it well and strain it and let the child eat it. It helps regulate bowel movements.
How to maintain regular bowel movements
To help always have a regular chair, follow these steps:
- Step 1. Try to have a bowel movement in a secluded place and after meals, such as breakfast. And the food and the smell of mouth-watering foods can make your intestines move.
- Step 2. Drink something warm with breakfast, for example, warm water. This will help the bowels work.
- Step 3. Sit on the toilet or bedside dresser 20 minutes after breakfast.
- Step 4. Place your legs on a bench and tilt your body forward slightly, helping your bowels work better.
- Step 5. Massage or rub the lower abdomen to move the bowel movement along the rectum.
- Step 6. Have patience, this exercise can take from 20 to 30 minutes so that you can have a bowel movement.
- Step 7. Use glycerin or suppositories, if necessary, so that you can easily move the chair out of the intestines. Insert the bisacodyl or glycerin suppository into the rectum within 1 hour before breakfast. Place the suppository between the walls of the rectum - this will help you to better defecate and anesthetize the anal area.
- Step 8. Lubricate the gloved finger and push it into the rectum, if necessary, to aid movement of your feces.
Wash your hands before and after a bowel movement.
Special recipe with bran for constipation
If you have constipation, the following bran recipe will quickly help you.
Need to mix
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 cup of coarse unprocessed wheat bran
- Cup of plum juice
This mixture will have a pasty consistency.
Cool the mixture in a closed container between applications.
How often do you eat bran for a special recipe?
Start with 2 tablespoons of bran mixture (muesli) with a glass of water every day. Eat this mixture in the evening to have a good bowel movement in the morning. Increasing the bran mixture can be done gradually - two tablespoons every week until your stool becomes regular. Always drink a large glass of water with the mixture. After a period of 7 to 10 days of taking the mixture with bran for the prevention of constipation, you can increase this figure to three tablespoons and increase it by 1 tablespoon every week until your chair becomes regular.
[31]