While it’s not exactly the most comfortable thing to talk about or experience, unfortunately it’s also fairly common, so taking the time to learn about what foods could help relieve constipation and avoid any bouts of it in the future may be beneficial. But first, let’s define what constipation is. Constipation is defined as having fewer than three bowel movements a week.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, approximately 42 million people deal with constipation on a regular basis. For whatever reason, it’s more common in men than women, but pregnant and postpartum women are at a higher risk. Thankfully, there are many effective options for treating and relieving constipation. Not surprisingly, a lot of it has to do with diet. Eating more of these 20 foods will help keep constipation at bay in the future and relieve any current issues….
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1. Apples
An apple a day will keep constipation away! That’s not exactly how the saying goes, but in this case, it’s true! The skin on most fruits, including apples, contains lots of insoluble fiber which acts as a natural laxative. Healthline points out that one medium size apple (with the skin on) contains 4.4-grams of fiber which is 17-percent of the recommended daily intake (RDI).
“As fibre travels along the large intestine, it absorbs fluids to bulk up and soften waste material. That helps stool pass more easily through the colon, where muscle contractions move it along,” explains Reader’s Digest. “Fibre is particularly dense in the skin, stems, and leaves of fruit and plants.” This is why it’s so important not to peel an apple before eating it!