Herbal Remedies For Bowel Movements

The quality and frequency of your bowel movements can provide significant information about your overall health. Certain abnormalities, including diarrhea and constipation, may signal a problem with your digestive system. Healthy stool is soft and easy to pass and should not cause you to strain when you are defecating. Consider using herbal remedies to encourage healthy bowel movements, but speak with your physician to get safe herbs for digestive health.

Constipation

Constipation is one of the most common barriers to healthy bowel movements. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse states that you are constipated if you have fewer than three bowel movements in one week. Constipation is not itself a disease, although it may be a symptom of other problems in your life, including stress and a poor diet. Indications that you are constipated include hard stools, too much straining during bowel movements and the feeling that you have not fully completed your bowel movement.

Herbal Treatments

Use herbal remedies for constipation in combination with healthy dietary changes, including an increase in fiber intake. According to Phyllis A. Balch, certified nutritional consultant and author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," herbal remedies that may help treat constipation include cascara sagrada, senna leaves, rhubarb root, goldenseal, aloe vera, yerba mate, alfalfa extract, milk thistle and ginger. Other helpful herbs include psyllium seed, kelp, buckthorn, dandelion, licorice and yellow dock.

Highlighted Herb

Yerba mate is an herbal remedy often prescribed by herbalists and other practitioners for constipation. Balch notes that yerba mate is helpful in treating constipation, allergies and inflammatory bowel disorders. This herb has been used to protect your body from free radical damage, cleanse your blood and suppress your appetite. Yerba mate is helpful in slowing the rate at which food leaves your stomach, prolonging your sense of fullness. The leaves of the yerba mate plant contain important nutrients and phytochemicals and can be made into tea.

Another Effective Herb

Cascare sagrada is another effective herb in stimulating healthy bowel movements. According to Balch, cascara sagrada serves as a colon cleanser and possesses laxative action. This herbal remedy has been used to help treat colon disorders, constipation and parasitic infections. Cascara sagrada has a bitter taste when consumed as a tea. The bark of the cascara sagrada plant contains many active ingredients, including beta-carotene, malic acid, iron, magnesium, manganese, silicon, zinc and vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3 and C.