Constipation happens to many people and people seek foods to relieve constipation and luckily some foods in this article can help you relieve it.
Supplementing fiber through food is extremely effective, low-cost, and easy to do at home for treating constipation without medication. However, what are the best foods rich in fiber to treat constipation and how to supplement them?
Constipation is a very common digestive disease with symptoms characterized by fewer bowel movements (less than 3 times a week) and difficulty due to large stools, and dry and hard stools. Although not dangerous, constipation can cause discomfort, and fatigue, interfere with activities, and increase the risk of other digestive diseases.
Constipation is not difficult to treat, even to cure constipation without using drugs, but just eating a lot of foods rich in fiber to treat constipation. The following foods that Top News provides will help you get more information about familiar, easy-to-find but effective, high-fiber foods for constipation!
Contents
1. Prunes are one of those foods to relieve constipation
Prunes contain a large amount of fiber, only 40g can provide about 3g of fiber, equivalent to about 12% of the daily fiber needed.
The fiber in prunes is mainly cellulose insoluble fiber, which has the effect of increasing the amount of water in the stool, increasing the volume of stool to stimulate the body to pass. In particular, prunes also contain a lot of sorbitol, which has a laxative effect, increasing osmotic pressure and increasing the amount of water in the intestine.
2. Apple
According to many nutrition documents, 1 apple of about 200g can provide about 4.8g of fiber, meeting about 19% of the recommended daily requirement.
Apples have both soluble and insoluble fiber but the most prominent is pectin, a soluble fiber that can soften stools and help them move faster. Not only that, but this type of fiber also helps to balance the intestinal microflora by adding beneficial bacteria.
3. Kiwi
Kiwi is also a fiber-rich food that is very effective in treating constipation. 1 kiwi about 75g can provide about 2.3g of fiber, meeting about 9% of the recommended daily requirement.
According to research, eating kiwi regularly can help increase the frequency of bowel movements, making stools softer and easier to pass. The reason is that in addition to being high in fiber, kiwi also contains actinidine, an enzyme that can stimulate bowel movements.
4. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines are rich sources of fiber. Specifically, 1 orange about 154g contains 3.7g of fiber, while a grapefruit about 308g contains nearly 5g of fiber.
The most special thing is that citrus fruits are rich in soluble fiber pectin, which softens stools, helping stools move easily. In addition, citrus fruits also contain naringenin, a flavonoid that increases the secretion of fluids into the colon, helping to laxatives.
5. Green vegetables
Which foods are high in fiber? At the top of the list will probably be green leafy vegetables such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, and spinach with rich fiber content, including soluble and insoluble fiber. In particular, these green leafy vegetables are also a good source of folate, vitamin C and vitamin K for the body.
6. Avocado
Avocado is “dubbed” as a natural laxative because fiber makes up 7% of the weight of avocado, of which 25% is soluble fiber and 75% is insoluble fiber.
In addition to soluble and insoluble fiber, avocados are also a good source of magnesium, an important mineral for the digestive system. Magnesium acts as an osmotic laxative, making stools soft and easy to pass.
7. Yam
In the list of fiber-rich foods to treat constipation, it is impossible not to mention sweet potatoes, a tuber that only 150g contains about 3.6g of fiber. The fiber in sweet potatoes is mainly insoluble fiber in the form of cellulose, lignin and soluble fiber pectin, which is very beneficial for the treatment of constipation.
8. Nuts
Nuts are also good fiber-rich foods for people with constipation. Among nuts, almonds, pistachios and walnuts are the ones with the highest fiber content. Specifically, 28g of almonds provided about 3.5g of fiber, while pistachios were 2.9g and walnuts were 2.7g.
9. Beans
Legumes such as peas, lentils, red beans, and black beans can support the treatment of constipation very effectively because 100g of beans contain about 10g of fiber, including soluble and insoluble fiber. stool softening effect and increasing bowel movement.
10. Chia seeds and flax seeds
Chia seeds are extremely rich in fiber, only 28g contains 9.8g of fiber, of which 85% is insoluble fiber and 15% is soluble fiber. In particular, chia seeds have the ability to absorb water 12 times their weight, so adding chia seeds to the diet can help increase stool volume and effectively soften stools.
Besides chia seeds, flax seeds are also a high-fiber food for constipation often mentioned for their natural laxative effects. Flaxseeds are also high in fiber, both soluble and insoluble. In particular, the amount of oil in flaxseeds also has lubricating properties, making stools easier to move.
Final thoughts
Although eating a lot of fiber is a safe and effective way to treat constipation when adding it to your diet, you need to keep a few things in mind:
Although fiber is very good for health, if you suddenly “load” too much fiber into the body, it can lead to bloating, indigestion and even make symptoms worse.
Therefore, you should add foods rich in fiber to treat constipation into your diet slowly, gradually increasing by week for the body to adapt. In addition, only the recommended amount of fiber is from 25 to 38g per day. Avoid taking too much as it can lead to the opposite effect.
That’s those foods to relieve constipation and make sure you add one of them to your daily meal because it will help you to reduce constipation in the process.