10/26/2011: Nat from Brooklyn, Ny writes: "Speaking to a nephrologist about a member of the family who is on dialysis, I asked about Magnesium Citrate as a supplement. He said that Citrate products are not used on dialysis patients because it was seen that Calcium Citrate increases aluminum in the bodies of dialysis patients. (In kidney failure, the kidneys cannot filter out aluminum, and dialysis does not either. Normal kidneys filter out aluminum. ) But what about all the people who have partial kidney failure and don't even know it. So we stopped using the Magnesium Citrate, just as a precaution.

Instead experimentation was made using one to two tablespoons Benefiber from the pharmacy (one can use up to six tablespoons Benefiber a day) in one or two glasses of water, in combination with one or two (or three) tablespoons Milk of Magnesia - sometimes also with some Magnesium Bicarbonate (made by pouring two or three full measuring tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia - a half to three fourths of the enclosed cap - into a bottle of seltzer/club soda and shaking the contents - as recommended on Earthclinic by Bill from San Fernando, Philippines - but sometimes using a bit less Milk of Magnesia than recommended).

Glucomannan, a fiber supplement recommended by Pam from Alabama, might also be used with the water and Milk of Magnesia.

Milk of Magnesia, starting at five Tbsp. and going down gradually, is recommended, in the name of an older doctor, by Redclary from Oklahoma .

Some extra seltzer/club soda, recommended by Carol from Cumberland, MD, is also helpful (used in the mixture).

This simple combination of Benefiber and Milk of Magnesia in water is much better than many other things used to help the intestines.

After a few days one can often use smaller amounts of the Milk of Magnesia while increasing slightly the Benefiber.

Benefiber is a fiber supplement that helps increase good bacteria in the body. It is made from Hydrolyzed guar gum. For some reason it is better than plain Guar Gum. Also, it is mostly tasteless and does not thicken."

[YEA]  08/22/2006: Lisa from Missouri writes: "Pineapples! Fresh pineapple juice works great. I have a juicer and have it every morning. I'm not sure about store bought seeing as they usually have additives in the juice. A juicer is the best investment you'll ever make."

[YEA]  Delores from Atlanta, Georgia writes: "1/4 cup of pure Pomegranate concentrate with 16 oz. water, twice daily. Adjust as needed. This works wonders for constipation."

[YEA]  09/21/2006: John from Baltimore, Maryland writes: "Ever since my wife and I were married she would drink a glass of prune juice 2 times per week. This resulted in not only a cleansing but an end to constipation after trying it myself. It is also good to drink a glass of water as well to wash it down."

[YEA]  07/02/2006: KC from Columbia, South Carolina writes: "I have tried and am still using this for constipation and bloating. This only cost me $6 for 1 lb. and it has been a miracle for me. I had tried Colonix for colon cleansing and it was a very dramatic experience for me. I believe it was more or less a laxative with additives to get you addicted and it gave you close to diarrhea. I felt like had to go to the bathroom all of the time. So I had developed even more anxiety which lead to IBS I believe. Anyways- It has been a few months and I tried this cheap natural remedy and it works! I've been using it a little more than a week and I've seen greater results than Colonix had ever promised. I just followed the recipe on this site which had led me to the road of happiness. Thanks!"

[YEA]  10/08/2006: Anonymous writes: "I was going to try one last thing before surrendering to taking a laxative. I ate raisins all day and drank water. It worked, I didn't have to take the laxative."

[YEA]  01/02/2007: Nat from Brooklyn, NY writes: "Comment on helping constipation.

Simmer one half cup of raisins, or a half cup mixture of raisins, figs, and prunes with water and olive oil for a few minutes.

Or, pour boiling water and olive oil to just cover the raisins, or the raisins, prunes and figs mixture.

Or soak over night with tap water and some olive oil. (Check the figs to see that they have no bugs on or in them.)

Then add some toasted wheat germ and toasted bran to this mixture. (Krechmer's (the company that makes toasted wheat germ also makes toasted bran. For some people it may, help more than raw bran.)

Add one, two or three tablespoons bran and one or two tablespoon wheat germ to the mixture.

Add some organic Wheatabix (a cereal from England). (The Wheatabix may help more than Fiber One or Uncle Sam's or Good Friends High fiber cereal. May be because it is organic.)

Then add a little bit hot milk and maybe some sucanet.

Eat this every morning. It may take some time to heal the system but after a few days or a week there should be improvement. One can simmer, at one time, olive oil and water with a whole box of raisins or the raisin/prune/fig combination and store it in the refrigerator, taking out a half cup of the mixture every day. (Till the body begins to normalize itself and for emergency usage one can use polyethelen glycol (golightely) by doctor's prescription.

It is not habit forming and will even help for a few days after its use is stopped, but if one uses it for more than two weeks it can cause electrolite imbalance. It can then bring about some hyperactivity, jumpiness or wakefulness. Nevertheless, until the body normalizes itself, it is less harmful than other laxatives. In an old Prevention magazine a reader once recommended, as a powerful remedy for constipation, drinking, twice a day, hot coffee with two tablespoons wheat germ and two tablespoons unprocessed (raw) bran in it. This can be taken first thing in the morning and then again in the afternoon. One can add some sucanet or xylitol sweetener, or molasses. Even a bit of milk to make it palatable is all right for most people. One can take the hot coffee drink and then the raisin/olive oil/hot water/bran/wheat germ/wheatabix mixture afterward as a morning cereal. Hot fiber liquids (example â€" hot oily bean soup, hot pumpkin squash soup ( blend the soup with the seeds) and hot sweet drinks (not chocolate) are very helpful. Raw fruits and vegetables. Papaya has helped some people when other things did not. Avoid low fiber foods such as starchy bakery foods, rice, pasta. Avoid chocolates, and too much protein. It seems once that for a time a mixture of an eighth of a tsp each of carnitine powder, TMG powder and calcium pyruvate helped, all bought from Beyond a Century - 800-7771324 - a company that has very reasonable prices on supplement powders. At this time it may not be really helping as it was before. Chewing dry a tablespoon of toasted or raw bran. Follow a little while later with a hot drink. Fruit Eze, (fruiteze.com- 888-734-8527-or 503-297-4126) is a commercial mixture of dates, raisins, prunes and prune juice that is made for use in nursing homes. One might try using it with the olive oil and the toasted wheat germ/bran/ Wheatabix mixture. It is certified vegetarian and kosher."

[YEA]  10/29/2006: Carol from Southern NJ writes: "I eat about 1 cup of raw Savoy Cabbage a day with a meal. It relieved my roller coaster episodes of diarrhea in one day...and constipation for the next week. Also it helped with PMS. I can think more clearly, I have a higher energy level, my mood is improved, and I feel really healthy."

[YEA]  12/17/2011: Laura from Houston, Texas writes: "I have had terrible constipation for as long as I can remember (I am 42). I always thought myself lucky to go a maximum of 4 times per week. I have tried eating more fiber, drank gallons of water, followed blood type diet for a year, exercised, used ACV & EVCO, all with limited success. Well, my "cure" as it turns out was to drastically increase the amount of raw fruits and veggies in my diet. Now you can set your watch by me! I still fully cook ground beef, poultry & fish (except sushi), but I eat a minimum of 3-4 whole fruits and 4-5 raw veggies a day. I've also begun drinking kefir. Give it a try!"

[YEA]  04/05/2010: Erin from Los Angeles, Ca writes: "Age: 22

I feel like I have been constipated my whole life. But when I started eating raw rice for breakfast as part of a parasite purge program, I immediatly began having daily bowel movements. What I do is this: Drink 1 cup of warm water with lemon juice first thing in the morning. After about 20 minutes I eat 1/4 cup of raw rice. I soak the rice in water overnight to make it softer on my teeth. The rice should be chewed until it is liquid and then swallowed. I don't eat anything else until lunch (as part of the program, you are supposed to wait 3 hours so that the rice is the only thing going through you). About an hour after I eat the rice, I have the smoothest, most enjoyable bowel movements.

I think this works because raw rice can not be digested, so it passes right through you, scraping out the crevices of your intestines and pushing waste along.

This will probably work even in the absense of the lemon water, but I have never tried it. The lemon water first and then the raw rice is working great for me so I've never tried it without the lemon water.

**If you eat the rice and then eat other food without giving the rice sufficient time to digest, you will end up bloated with a terrbile stomach ache!"

[YEA]  03/29/2009: Kwaku Sam from Accra, Ghana writes: "1 or 2 glass(es) of red wine with food containing hot chillies will stop constipation."