Tuesday, June 16, 2009

A Natural Remedy For Constipation

Would it be Better to take Laxatives or to use a Natural Remedy for Relief of Constipation?


The most common natural remedy for constipation is physical exercise and diet. Often constipation is caused by lack of exercising and inadequate dieting. Everybody should consume 6-8 glassfuls of fluid each day. The most beneficial fluid for general healthiness and preventing constipation is water.

Dietary fibre should be consumed every day at the least 20-35 grams. Beneficial sources of fibre are veggies, fruits and whole grains.
The suggested quantity of fibre is not hard to achieve. One small apple will provide an adult with three grams of fibre, while half a cup of peas will provide five grams. A bowlful of bran cereal makes up for 13 grams of fibre. The most beneficial fibre providers and great natural remedies for constipation are dried beans, raisins, prunes, popcorn, figs, rolled oats and nuts. Those who are attempting to utilise these high fibre foods as a natural remedy for constipation should do so bit by bit. Even so, an excess of high fibre foods could cause really terrible gas.

Regular exercising is a great natural remedy for constipation. What keeps the heart conditioned causes the bowels to function good as well. Walking is among the most effective exercises for the prevention or cure of constipation.


Numerous medicines could worsen or even cause constipation. The more common are antacids that have got calcium or aluminium as among their ingredients. Antihistamines could cause constipation as could drugs prescribed to fight Parkinson’s disease. Diuretics are known causes of constipation as are calcium supplementations, phenothazines, narcotics, sedatives and tricyclic antidepressant medications.

Several natural remedies for constipation are herbal. They are aloe juice, cascara sagrada, senna, medicinal rhubarb, plaintain seeds and root of dandelion. Of these the most effect is in all likelihood cascara sagrada. Approach these herbal natural constipation remedies with caution overuse can be harmful.

What could make the constipation worse is resorting to unkind over the counter laxatives, which the overuse of can lead to dependency and decreased bowel functions, instead a natural remedy is suggested. Constipation sufferers can make up their own natural remedy by grinding psyllium seeds combining two parts of psyllium, one part of oat bran and one part of flax. These ingredients are mixed with water and consumed as a mash each night.Relief for constipation using laxatives is only temporary. A natural remedy for constipation is probably a better way to go.

Here is some information on laxatives how they work and how they can affect you.

Emollient laxatives

Emollient laxatives are commonly known as stool softeners. They consist of a compound known as docusate. Docusate is a wetting agent that betters the ability of water inside the colon to permeate and blend with the faeces. The increase of water in the faeces softens the stool. Studies haven't displayed docusate to be always efficient in alleviating constipation. Stool softeners quite often are employed in the long-term treatment of constipation. It could require a week or more for docusate to be effective. The dosage should be increased after two weeks if no outcome is witnessed.

While docusate in general is safe, it can allow for the soaking up of mineral oil and a few medications from the intestine. Soaked up mineral oil accumulates in tissues of the body, for instance, the lymph nodes and the liver, where it can cause inflammation. It's not clear if this inflaming bears any significant outcomes, but in the main is felt that extended soaking up of mineral oil shouldn't be permitted. The consumption of emollient laxatives isn't urged jointly with mineral oil or with certain prescription medicines. Emollient laxatives are normally used when there's a need to soften the faeces temporarily and make defecation gentler (for instance, after surgical procedure, heart attacks, or childbirth). They're also used for persons with anal fissures or haemorrhoids.



Lubricant laxatives
Lubricant laxatives comprise of mineral oil as either plain oil or an emulsion (combined with water) of the oil. The oil sticks inside the intestine, coats the particles of faeces, and presumably keeps the removal of water from the faeces. This holding of water in the faeces leads to a softer stool. Mineral oil is usually used for the short-term treatment of constipation because its long-term usage has got numerous disadvantages.

The oil can soak up fat-soluble vitamins from the intestine and, whenever used for lengthy periods of time, could contribute to insufficient nutrient intake from these vitamins. This is of specific concern in pregnancy on which satisfactory provision of vitamins is crucial for the foetus. In infants or the aged in whom the swallowing mechanism isn't strong or is impaired from strokes, little measures of the swallowed oil could get into the lungs and induce a type of pneumonia called lipid pneumonia. Mineral oil in addition to could lessen the absorption of some drugs such as warfarin and the oral contraceptive pill, thereby diminishing their effectiveness. In spite of this potential disadvantage, mineral oil could be good when short-term treatment is necessary.

Hyperosmolar laxatives
Hyperosmolar laxatives are indigestible, unable to be absorbed compounds that stay inside the colon and hold the water that already is in the colon. The outcome is softening of the stool. The more common hyperosmolar laxatives are lactulose, sorbitol, and polyethylene glycol. They are available by prescription only. These laxatives are good for long-term use and are linked up with some side effects.

Hyperosmolar laxatives can be digested by colonic bacteria and released as gas, which can lead to unwanted abdominal bloating and flatulence. This effect is dose-related and to a lesser extent with polyethylene glycol. Consequently, gas could be reduced by cutting back the dosage of the laxative. In a few instances, the gas will lessen over time.

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