The frequency of bowel movements varies considerably from one person to another and depends on a variety of factors, including your activity level, overall health and medications. Infrequent bowel movements of three or fewer per week, accompanied by straining, discomfort and passage of hard, dry stools, characterize constipation. Your diet plays a major role in constipation. Increasing your intake of fluid and dietary fiber, or roughage, often helps relieve symptoms of chronic constipation.
Plums and Prunes
Plums and prunes can help relieve chronic constipation by two mechanisms. They add roughage to your diet, which helps reduce the likelihood of constipation. These fruits also contain a high concentration of sorbitol, a natural laxative. Sorbitol draws water into your intestines, softening your stools and making them easier to pass. Prunes contain approximately 15 g of sorbitol per 100-g serving, report Maria Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis, Ph.D., and colleagues in a May 2001 article published in the journal "Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition." Because prunes are partially dehydrated, they provide a more concentrated form of sorbitol compared to fresh plums.
Beans
Beans add fiber to your diet, which can help ease constipation, reports the American Academy of Family Physicians. One cup of cooked navy beans contains more than 19 g of dietary fiber, according to the USDA. Cooked lima, pinto and kidney beans include 13 to 16 g of fiber per cup. Lentils are another fiber-rich legume, with approximately 16 g of fiber per 1-cup serving.
High-Fiber Vegetables
Adding high-fiber vegetables to your diet, such as spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots and cauliflower, can help ease chronic constipation, reports the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, these vegetables contain approximately 5 to 7 g of dietary fiber per cup. Dietary fiber adds bulk to your stool and stimulates intestinal activity, promoting increased bowel movement frequency.
Whole-Grain Cereals
Hot or cold whole-grain cereals help keep your bowels active by adding fiber to your diet. Whole-grain cereals include the grain hull, which passes through your intestines undigested and adds bulk to your stool by absorbing water. Similar to how cereal absorbs milk as it sits in a bowl, the dietary fiber in whole-grain cereal continues to absorb water in your digestive system. For this reason, it is important to drink an adequate amount of water along with increasing the fiber content of your diet. The American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons recommends that you include 25 to 30 g of dietary fiber and 60 to 80 oz. of fluid in your daily nutrition plan to help ease constipation.
References
- "Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition"; Chemical Composition and Potential Health Effects of Prunes: A Functional Food?; Maria Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis, Ph.D., et al.; May 2001
- FamilyDoctor.org: Constipation
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18: Fiber, Total Dietary (g) Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: What I Need to Know About Constipation
- American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons: Constipation
- American College of Gastroenterology: Constipation and Defecation Problems
