If you’ve ever had to deal with constipation, then we don’t need to tell you what a horrendous ordeal it is. Constipation, which is the inability to move your bowels more than three times in a week, is something that almost every single person has experienced during their lifetime at least once, and it’s not a pleasant feeling at all.
According to statistics, 14% of people all over the world suffer from constipation every year, and at least 42 million of this number are Americans. Moreover, constipation causes can be chalked up to a number of different factors, however most of them have something to do with people’s everyday diet, either what they’re eating or in this case, what they’re not eating.
While there are a number of ways to help relieve constipation, such as medication, getting regular exercise, and even bowel training, most experts believe that relieving constipation should start from the inside out. This means that people need to add fiber, water and other nutrients to their diet to help bulk up poop and get it out more efficiently.
Here are 31 kinds of food to eat to help ease constipation.
1. Prunes
Prunes, or dried plums, are one of the most popular foods when it comes to helping with constipation. That’s because prunes have incredibly high amounts of fiber, with ¼ cup of prunes already having 3 grams of fiber. According to the American Heart Association’s Reference Daily Intake (RDI), one serving of prunes is equal to 12% of an adults daily fiber requirement. Moreover, prunes contain sorbitol and fructans. These are fermentable sugars that have a laxative effect, making it easier to move the bowels after eating them, some say even better than over the counter laxatives can. And to make them even more effective, experts suggest soaking them in water overnight before consuming them, or choosing to drink 100% prune juice instead.
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