Natural Remedies for Bowel Irregularities

Let Food Be Your Medicine

Dec 14, 2008 R.L. Coffield

The condition and health of the gut is indicative of the health of the whole person, so it is vital that one take digestive disorders seriously and work to correct them.

While it's not a topic that anyone wants to talk about, constipation is a condition that affects literally millions of people. In fact, constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint in the United States, with approximately 2,000,000 visits to the doctor occurring each year because of it. Americans spend over 725 million dollars a year on over-the-counter remedies for this condition, many of which are habit forming.

A recent New York Times article by Tamar Lewin (As Economy Sinks, Laxative Sales Grow, Smoking Drops, October 19, 2008) suggest that during bleak, stressful economic times, laxative sales go up as many people adjust their eating habits to more economical foods that often don’t have the water content of more expensive items. Lewin says, "When people have less money, they buy more of the things that have less water in them, things that are not so perishable. Instead of lettuce and steak and fruit, it's rice and beans and grain and pasta."

Causes of Constipation

There are many causes of this condition, ranging from dehydration, low fiber intake, certain medications, digestive disorders, travel, stress and injuries. The list is exhaustless, and many conditions are quite serious that do require full medical attention, such as Crohn’s Disease, Thyroid Disease, Colon Cancer and a host of other severe medical conditions

The vast majority of people suffering with this condition, however, can take simple steps to remedy their situation. Some people may need to be more attentive to this condition than others as their bouts with constipation may tend to be chronic. Often times this condition is exacerbated by alcohol use, tobacco, and a diet too heavy in dairy fats. Eliminating these items alone can help this ailment.

Natural Remedies

While most people resort to over-the-counter laxatives that can be habit forming, there are many simple, natural remedies one can use.

• Drink more water. Dehydration is a leading cause of constipation. Drink a minimum of 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
• Exercise. Many studies indicate that exercising unequivocally helps this condition. Walking is easy and a good exercise.
• Eat your fruits and vegetables. Aim for a minimum of 5 servings a day.
• Drink prune juice. 6 ounces of prune juice in the morning is guaranteed to start something.

Fiber Matters

Eat more fiber. This seems quite obvious, yet many people continue to eat too many high sugar foods with little or no fiber. Foods such as cabbage soups, broccoli, lentils, cantaloupe, papaya and high fiber/low sugar cereals like All-Bran are extremely helpful.

Ground flaxseed meal is also enormously helpful when sprinkled on or cooked into foods. This product is an excellent source of fiber, lignans and omega-3 fats. This supplement should be kept refrigerated and should come from a store’s refrigerated area.

Fiber wafers themselves can also work for you. These wafers have psyllium husk, a high soluble fiber item, as their main, active ingredient, but they also contain some less than desirable ingredients for their inactive contents. One can buy plain psyllium which can be mixed with water. Psyllium comes from a natural herb and is also advocated for reducing high cholesterol. It must be taken with plenty of water, however, and can interfere with the absorption of medications, so medications should generally be taken an hour or two after psyllium is ingested.

Aloe Vera Juice

Derived from one of nature’s most amazing plants, aloe vera juice is particularly good for the digestive system. 2 ounces in the morning, either straight or mixed with juice or water will show tremendous benefits within a few days.

Danger of Over-the-Counter Laxatives

Over-the-counter laxatives can be quite habit forming and should be avoided if at all possible. If absolutely necessary, buy only those laxatives which contain psyllium or other natural ingredients.

If, after trying these natural remedies, chronic constipation continues to plague you, a trip to the doctor may be in order. In many cases, however, sufferers will find that Hippocrates was correct when he said: Let Thy Food be Thy Medicine, and Thy Medicine be Thy Food.

The copyright of the article Natural Remedies for Bowel Irregularities in Natural Medicine is owned by R.L. Coffield. Permission to republish Natural Remedies for Bowel Irregularities in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Try to Eat Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables

Exercise of Any Kind Helps