People who experience constipation often find it difficult to have a normal bowel movement or a normal number of bowel movements in the course of a week. Constipation may be caused by a poor diet or by dehydration. Drinking plenty of water and eating foods that encourage proper bowel movement can help alleviate symptoms of constipation. Constipation stools are usually dry, hard and small, and can be hard to pass. People with constipation often complain of a feeling of fullness in the bowel, bloating, and may find it hard to pass a bowel movement or experience lots of straining when having a bowel movement.

It is important to eat a fiber-rich diet to help alleviate constipation. An average adult needs between 25 and 30 grams of fiber to keep constipation at bay. If you eat far less than this amount, slowly increase your fiber intake over the course of a week. Suddenly changing your diet and rapidly increasing your fiber intake can cause problems in your digestive tract. Strawberries, blackberries and raspberries all contain a healthy amount of fiber and can help relieve constipation. Beans, such as the lima, navy, kidney, pinto, and great Northern varieties can provide twice as much fiber as other vegetables, greatly helping your digestive tract return to a normal function. Adding high-fiber vegetables into your diet can also be beneficial to combating the effects of constipation. [Read more...]