Best Juices To Treat Constipation

Imagine you have a big meeting or an interview and all you feel is constipated! It’s a nightmare. You feel bloated, uncomfortable, and on top of that, you cannot eat anything because it only makes you feel more bloated and gassy. This situation is quite serious for those who regularly suffer from constipation. Constipation is a medical condition where the bowel movement is slower and passing the stool becomes difficult. If you really want to relieve yourself of this problem, you should start taking care of your digestive system. Since medicines come with a lot of side effects, I recommend natural remedies like juices to relieve constipation. Here are five homemade juices that will help with your bowel movement and also cleanse your colon. Before I reveal the recipes of the juices for treating constipation, let’s see why I strongly recommend drinking juice.

Note: I refer to these drinks as “juices,” but they are actually very well blended/thin liquid-consistency smoothies.

Why Drink Juices For Constipation

Juices are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and have a high water content. Therefore, juices will help to keep you hydrated and will provide your body with the required dietary fiber. Soluble fiber helps to retain water in the stool and makes the stool softer. This helps in better bowel movement. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to the fecal matter, which quickens the bowel movement. Juices will also provide the body with vitamins and minerals, thereby boosting your overall health. Sorbitol, a carbohydrate present in juices, help in facilitating rapid bowel movement.

But this does not mean that you only have to drink juice or drinking excessive juice will cure your problem. There is a measured dose for every treatment. Here is how much juice you should consume per day.

Juice Dosage For Constipation

You can have one cup of juice every day. Try to include the pulp and do not add any extra sugar. You can add spices such as cumin and fennel. These may aid in flushing out toxins from the colon. Drink the juice for constipation first thing in the morning every day.

Now that you know the science behind drinking juices to treat constipation, let’s move on to the 5 simple juices that you can prepare at home in just a few minutes!

5 Homemade Juices To Treat Constipation

1. Prune Juice For Constipation

Ingredients

• 5-6 prunes
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 cup warm water

How To Prepare

1. Soak the prunes in a cup of warm water for 5 minutes.
2. As the prunes soften up, remove the pith and toss the prunes into a blender along with the water.
3. Add honey and cumin powder.
4. Give it a spin.
5. Pour the juice into a glass and relish the drink.

Why This Works

Prunes contain dietary fiber and sorbitol, which help to quicken the bowel movement. Honey is a natural antibacterial agent and has antioxidant properties that help to remove toxins from the body. Cumin helps to maintain good gut health and also adds to the taste and flavor of the juice.

2. Pear Juice For Constipation

Ingredients

• 2 pears, pith removed
• 2 teaspoon lime juice
• Pinch of black salt

How To Prepare

1. Roughly chop the pears and toss into the blender.
2. Give it a spin and pour the juice into a glass.
3. Add lime juice and a pinch of black salt.
4. Stir well before drinking.

Why This Works

Pears are also rich in fiber and have almost twice the amount of sorbitol when compared to prunes. Since sorbitol helps in facilitating bowel movement, drinking pear juice will help you treat constipation. Lime juice is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help to boost the immune system and keep you healthy.

3. Apple Juice For Constipation

Ingredients

• 1 apple, seeds removed
• ½ teaspoon fennel powder
• ½ cup water

How To Prepare

1. Roughly chop the apples and toss into a blender.
2. Add the water and give it a spin.
3. Pour out the juice into a glass.
4. Add the fennel powder and stir well.

Why This Works

Apples are rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They also have a mild laxative effect. Fennel seed powder is rich in dietary fiber and therefore helps in retaining water in the stool and facilitating smooth bowel movement.

4. Orange Juice For Constipation

Ingredients

• 1 cup roughly chopped oranges
• Pinch of black salt

How To Prepare

1. Toss the oranges into the blender or Nutribullet.
2. Give it a spin.
3. Pour the juice out into a glass.
4. Add a pinch of black salt and stir well before drinking.

Why This Works

Oranges are a rich source of vitamin C, minerals, and dietary fiber. The dietary fiber helps to retain water and adds bulk to the stool, thereby stimulating bowel movement.

5. Lemon Juice For Constipation

Ingredients

• ½ lemon
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder

How To Prepare

1. Add lemon juice, honey, and cumin powder to a cup of warm water.
2. Stir well before drinking.

Why This Works

Lemon is rich in fiber and vitamin C, which not only helps to treat constipation but also boosts the immune system. Cumin powder is extremely helpful in keeping the digestive system healthy. Honey is loaded with antioxidants that help to flush out the toxins.

Though these juices are helpful in treating constipation, do take a look at the possible side effects.

Side Effects

• Fruit juices contain fruit sugar and may increase your blood sugar levels.
• The rise in blood sugar can have an adverse effect on those having diabetes.
• If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, your condition may get aggravated.

If you are regularly suffering from this issue, try to change your diet. Here is what you should eat.

What To Eat To Treat Constipation

Fruits – Plum, pear, watermelon, orange, lime, lemon, and apple
Vegetables – Kale, spinach, broccoli, carrot, radish, beetroot, and celery
Proteins – Garbanzo beans and black beans
Seeds and Nuts – Cumin seed, fennel seed, pumpkin seed, flax seed, and soaked almonds
Fats and Oils – Olive oil
Beverages – Water, coconut water, buttermilk, fresh fruit juices, and detox water

Useful Tip

Eat a lot of fiber-containing foods and keep yourself hydrated. Also, if possible, drink a glass of warm water as soon as you wake up, even before drinking your morning juice.

Here are the signs and symptoms of constipation.

Symptoms Of Constipation

• Slower bowel movement
• Abdominal pain
• Hardened stool
• Not feeling the urge to go to the washroom
• Bloating
• Difficulty in passing stool
• Vomiting sensation

Now that you have confirmed whether you are suffering from constipation or not, let’s get to the root of the problem. Here is a list of the causes of constipation.

What Causes Constipation

• Not drinking enough water or fluids
• Not eating enough dietary fiber
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Colon cancer
• Leading a sedentary lifestyle
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Stress
• Pregnancy
• Certain medications such as antidepressants and antacids
• Sudden change in diet or activity level
• Spinal cord injury
• Multiple sclerosis
• Stroke
• Weak pelvic muscles
• Dyssynergia
• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism

Many of us have the tendency of ignoring our health problems. If you think that constipation is a minor problem, take a look at the next section to know what could happen if you ignore it.

Adverse Outcomes Of Constipation

Occasionally suffering from constipation is not as dangerous as regularly suffering from constipation. Here is a list of complications that may arise if you do not start taking care of the issue immediately.

• Anal fissures
• Rectal prolapse
• Swollen veins in anus
• Fecal impaction
• Bowel stricture
• Colon cancer

There are other factors that aggravate the risk of constipation. Here is what you should be beware of.

Constipation Risk Factors

• Taking medications such as narcotics, blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, and antacids.
• Being a woman
• Being an elderly adult
• Suffering from eating disorders
• Suffering from depression
• Not getting enough sleep
• Not getting enough physical activity
• Not drinking enough water

Considering there are so many complications, it is best to treat this condition as soon as possible. By including juices in your daily morning routine you will put an end to your constipation problems and the nutrients in the fruits will also help you treat many other health ailments. You will end up with not only better gut health but also brighter skin and shiny hair! So, stop ignoring this issue, flush it right out of your life. Live free!