Supplements against constipation, what they are and when to take them 🆙

, Naturopath

- food and herbal supplements against constipation, like chicory, fennel and cumin, have cholagogue properties and reduce abdominal swelling. Let's find out better

> What is constipation

> Cause

> Natural remedies for constipation

> Herbal supplements against constipation

Fennel among the supplements against constipation

What is constipation

Constipation (or constipation) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, especially among women and the elderly. Constipation is defined as a defecation disorder and consists of difficulty emptying the intestines from the feces.

The evacuation depends from person to person according to his diet and his physiology even if he is normally defined as a person suffering from constipation if he does not make bowel movements at least 3 times a week.

However, constipation is always to be considered a symptom of some other disorder / alteration and not a real disease.

Causes of constipation

Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or the muscular contractions of the colon are too slow and weak, and therefore the stool moves too slowly.

Among frequent causes:

lack of fiber in the diet
a diet rich in refined carbohydrates, fats and animal proteins
lack of physical activity
abuse of antibiotic, anti-acid, anti-depressant drugs
abuse or poor milk tolerance
changes in life or daily routine (pregnancy, travel)
abuse of pharmacological laxatives
abuse of alcohol and nerve substances (coffee the cola)
stress
dehydration
colon or rectal disease

Natural remedies for constipation

Dietary Fiber: both soluble and insoluble, they are found in fruit, vegetables and cereals that the body is unable to digest. The fibers soluble they dissolve easily in water and in the intestine they take on a soft and gelatinous consistency. The fibers insoluble they pass through the intestine remaining almost unchanged (suggested daily dose of fiber for an adult 20-30 g): the main sources of vegetable fiber are fruits, vegetables, bran, legumes, whole grains. Between natural fiber supplements we find flax seeds, psyllium, mallow, which in contact with the liquids present in the intestine form mucilage that soften the stool.
Acqua: liquids make the stools present in the colon more fluid and have a greater mass, and therefore soften and are easier to excrete. Those with constipation problems should therefore try to drink more every day.
Physical Activity: Moderate physical activity (even just 30 minutes of brisk walking a day) helps improve intestinal peristalsis.

You can learn more about what fiber dietary supplements are and when they are used

Supplements against constipation, what they are and when to take them

Herbal supplements against constipation

Dandelion, Boldo, Chicory, Artichoke, plants with choleretic and cholagogue properties (that is, which stimulate the production of more abundant and more fluid bile by the liver
Fennel, Cumin, carvi, carminative plants which reduce abdominal swelling, often associated with constipation.
Senna, Rhubarb, Aloe, Frangula to be used occasionally and in the presence of more stubborn constipation; these are herbal remedies containing anthraquinone heterosides that act mainly in the large intestine (colon), stimulating the peristaltic contractions of its muscles, thus favoring its emptying (Anthraquinone laxatives are absolutely essentialontrindicated in case of pregnancy and breastfeeding, in children under 12 years of age, in acute inflammatory diseases of the intestine such as ulcerative colitis, enterocolitis, appendicitis, Crohn's disease, in the case of abdominal pain of unknown origin, in acute intestinal obstructions).
There are also medicinal mushrooms useful against constipation: these have a healthy effect on the intestine, are natural laxatives and perform an action mainly on the nervous system, relaxing the contracted muscles of the colon.