The disorder of digestive tract is termed as constipation. The main symptom of constipation is irregular bowel movement. Other symptoms for constipation are foul breath, headache, coated tongue, dizziness, depression, dark circles around the eyes, pimples, mouth ulcer, nausea, acidity, insomnia etc. Constipation can lead to diseases like appendicitis, arthritis, cataract, high blood pressure, rheumatism etc. Sometime it can cause cancer also. Living style, faulty diet structure, less amount of water intake, excessive refined and fried food, extra intake of coffee and tea, overeating etc are the main reasons of constipation.

There are few ways by which constipation can be removed or reduced to a great extent. If these home remedies are used in conjunction with medical treatment from doctor then it can do wonders.

Home Remedies for Constipation

· Consumption of a minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruits daily – A selection should be made from apples, apricots, pears, prunes, sweet potatoes, berries, peaches, oranges, peas, tomatoes, carrots, corns, cauliflower, broccoli and spinach. It is better to consume whole fruit then to drink juice. For example, a orange juice is worth 0.1 grams of the fiber but on the other hand if the orange is consumed directly it serves 2.9 grams of fiber.

· Consume six ounces of grain products daily - These should be taken with five servings of vegetables and fruits. Breads, cereals and starchy vegetables are part of grain products. Examples of starchy vegetables are green peas, lima beans, potatoes and corn. Consume whole grains like whole grain cereal and whole wheat bread whenever possible. Eating high fiber cereal is a large dose of fiber. This should be taken in the morning for best results. For one serving, the quantity of fiber should be more the 5 or 6 grams and it is called high fiber. Corns are considered as one of the very best and high fiber product.

· Avoid Refined Food – Changing the diet plan from a high refined food to less refined food is one of the best ways to reduce constipation. This switching helps increase the fiber intake. Consume less cooked vegetables in comparison to heavy cooked vegetables.

· Consume Walnuts – If they are used from the shell afresh they can the best laxative as needed.

· Consumption of Beans – Beans are considered one of the good sources of beans. These include pinto beans, lima beans, navy beans, red beans, garbanzo beans or black beans. These are also called legumes and dried beans.

· Oregon grapes or cup of coffee – There is a constituent in coffee which is bitter tasting and can help the digestive tract to stimulate. A replacement for the same is Oregon grape. The root of this plant is used or even barberry can be used. This should be taken with water. Only half teaspoon of Oregon grape extract is enough. It should be consumed by sipping slowly before the meals.

· Consumption of Apples regularly – Eat one apple after taking food. This is one very simple way to reduce constipation.

· Apple cider and apple juice – These should be consumed regularly and are very natural laxatives.

· Bananas - Consuming 2 ripe bananas in between the meals. These are also very good for reducing constipation. Green bananas should be avoided as they are constipating.

· Raisins – These should be consumed after a hour from the meal. A handful quantity is more than enough.

· Rhubarb – Either cook it and eat with honey or it should be baked in a pie or prepare a drink with pureed and cooked rhubarb, honey and apple juice. This is a very effective and natural laxative.

· Barley - It is best to add it to the diet permanently. It is helpful in reducing constipation.

· Blackstrap molasses – This should be used occasionally. Two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses should be consumed before sleeping. Molasses is very high in calories. It can be consumed with milk or fruit juice.

· Water – A intake of minimum of 8-10 glasses of water is very important for reducing constipation.