The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Beets
Posted by Openlyhappy (Mcdonough, Ga) on 02/25/2010
★★★★★
I'm sorry I am a person who had to have surgery and suffered from constipation all my life. Honey at the end of the day it is diet diet diet. I would only move once a week at most times. I had "poop envy"...lol of my husband. I started following the rave diet and now i can 2 or 3 times a day. Beets Beets Beets is all i can say along with the ACV and just plain water but most of all it is diet. If you are that constipated like I was you were eating crap..i was or you are eating meat...i was. MY body could not digest meat and processed foods. By this time I had had enough of both to last me a life time. Don't miss'em... I like poopin' more... "Don't hate me 'cause I poopin"...lol. I chase a good movement like methheads chase a high. Start looking for what works for you and don't stop until you do you'll find that thing that works for you. BEETS BEETS BEETS oh yeah and cayenne honey and lemon, ginger and ACV all in one good warm cup of water. drink lots of water. Seriously, I know your plight but you have to change that diet to change your life... best of luck...
Water
Posted by Shelley (Mississauga, Canada) on 03/05/2009
★★★★★
re: Water and Carrots first thing in the morning.
Hello, constipation is not fun and there are many natural cures that work. I wanted to add another natural remedy because it works and its so simple. 1) Water; the body needs water. Usually when people wake up, they have coffee or some type of diuretic [cafefine], which is horrible if you have constipation. Drinking 1 glass of water as soon as you wake up is what our body yearns for. Drinking 1 glass of water (at room temperature)in the morning cured my constipation within 1 week. Of course during the day, you should drink more water, but first thing in the morning is the crucial step. 2) Carrots; not only are carrots delicious, they save our eyesight, protect our hearts, combats cancer, promotes weight loss, AND PREVENTS CONSTIPATION. I do not have constipation anymore, I hope this can help someone else. God Bless.
Brazil Nuts
Posted by Ninegps (Atlanta, Ga.) on 02/02/2018
★★★★★
I have suffered from constipation for many many years throughout much of my 40s fore sure. I am stunned that Earth Clinic does not have Brazil Nuts as the number one remedy for constipation. I have tried apple cider vinegar I use magnesium on a regular basis and they do not work for me. I have a very clean diet I eat lots of fruit and vegetables and high fiber every day. I do not, however, drink as much water as I should. One day I was watching a physician show on a major television networks and one of the doctors said that we must have a balanced amount of selenium in our diet. Who knew? He mentioned Brazil nuts. I immediately went to Whole Foods and grabbed a bag. They work but you must be careful about how many you consume. They can be toxic. I only eat 3 a day.
Coconut
Posted by Rw (Southwest Virginia) on 12/13/2017
★★★★★
I'm on a low carb diet to keep blood sugar down and I make this concoction when I want something sweet. I discovered it cured constipation--I think it's the coconut that does it. I take about a Tablespoon of natural peanut butter (the kind that's runny), mix 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, some stevia, and add a few chopped pecans (optional). You have to smush it with a spoon and it's like a cross between sort of a granola and fudge--sort of. Well when you're not allowed sweets you lower your standards.
Chia Seeds
Posted by Deb (Lebanon, Oregon) on 12/04/2014
Having grown up with chronic constipation (a small amount once a month) I have been trying to remedy it for the past 20 years (I'm now 57). I've tried all the recommendations. A number of years ago I discovered powdered magnesium and I kept increasing the amount until I had results. Two tablespoons would keep me regular. Concerned about taking this much I kept searching but always would default back. Then I found chia seeds. I soak a tablespoon over night and put it in a 3 fruit smoothie for my breakfast every morning. It has been working for a year now with daily regularity (sometimes twice a day).
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
Posted by Grace (London, Uk) on 11/16/2012
★★★★★
Thank you for posting this! This remedy works well. I just took 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp olive oil on an empty stomach and had some immediate relief! I shall persist with this. I had tried a fiber plus probiotics and prebiotics supplement, senna tea and aloe vera, all of which probably did no harm but I saw no results. Lemon and olive oil works a treat!
Carrot Soup
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 01/13/2025
★★★★★
Carrot Soup for Infants and Adults with Acute or Chronic Intestinal Disturbances
Medical Council – A Monthly Journal for the Physican and Surgeon. Volume 15,1910
For infants suffering from acute or chronic intestinal disturbances, E. Moro highly recommends a soup prepared as follows : Five hundred grams of carrots are peeled, mashed and boiled out with water, until 375 grams remain. The mass is then rubbed through a very fine sieve and added together with 6 gm. Of salt to 1 liter of broth. This soup was given to infants from two weeks to six months old with the best results. In acute cases the vomiting and diarrhea will cease in from one to three days and the fever and general symptoms of marasmus will rapidly disappear. In the chronic affection and in infants suffering from atrophy the result is no less prompt, and a rapid gain in weight can be noted . The stools are soft, very copious, and yellow or reddish-yellow. One of the most pronounced results following feeding with carrot soup is retention of water within the system of the infant.- Muench . Med. Woch.
Carrot juice every day helps clear up constipation, premote loose stools, relief from piles, and kills worms in the intestinal tract. Kitchen Clinic Home Remedies for Common Ailments Pub. 2011
Flaxseed
Posted by Nancy (Albemarle, NC) on 08/25/2021
★★★★★
The best thing for constipation is flaxseed. I tried otc drugs, supplements, magnesium, nothing worked. One teaspoon of flax seed ground works put in coffee or tea or Sprinkle on food.
Quit Caffeine
Posted by Jennifer (Napa, Ca) on 06/23/2018
★★★★★
Re a post about caffeine curing constipation -
Just the opposite! Quitting caffeine CURES constipation. If you stop drinking all forms of caffeine, you will cure your dreaded constipation. Being an avid coffee drinker for 20 years, I always believed coffee was the only thing that would make me “go”, albeit only 2 times per week(so unhealthy). I read about curing constipation by eliminating all forms of caffeine, which I swore I would never do, but then I read about so many other healthy side effects like deeper sleep, clearer skin, in addition to bowel movement regularity, and decided it was more than worth a try after dealing with constipation for as long as I can remember. I weened myself off caffeine and by Day 4 I started having regular bowel movements every day. I also slept better than I have my entire life by Day 6.
Looking back to my teenage years and in my twenties, I drank a lot of Diet Coke and had no idea how that caffeine was effecting my health. When I stop to think about all the things constipation kept me from doing all these years, it sickens me. Getting off caffeine takes a couple weeks but it's so worth the effort. I used to have dark circles under my eyes and they are now gone, and I've only been off caffeine for a month! Another awesome side effect? No more nasty hangovers!
That's right, I work in the wine industry and always thought the wine was giving me hangovers, until I quit caffeine and discovered I could drink wine and feel fine the next day! It was the caffeine withdrawal that compounded the dehydration that always caused my hangover, not to mention the pesticides in coffee, etc.
Kiwi
Posted by Adrienne (Gold Coast) on 06/15/2015
★★★★★
I have suffered from constipation for years and have used many products including the best digestive enzymes and acidophillus available - I am also a nutritionist so I eat well and take heaps of the best supplements. I've also had colonics and massage to help.
The thing that has worked wonders for me without question is kiwi fruit. first thing on an empty stomach I eat 3 kiwi or blend them with another fruit and some chia seeds, and I have absolute success every time.
I think kiwi have the right ph for your gut health, are full of enzymes and also are slippery.
Try this and share!
Castor Oil
Posted by Mary (Hampshire) on 04/26/2025
★★★★★
I realise this is an old post, but for others, I had constipation for years, then took castor oil. I took 3 tablespoons and OMG! I certainly had a complete clear-out a few hours later and it kept up for 2 days. Don't take a lot and expect to be able to go out for a day or two. Now, as soon as I feel it is starting again I have a teaspoon and this works. I too use the 100% certified organic. Wonderful stuff.
Chia Seeds
Posted by Yellowbird (Portlandia) on 09/11/2013 10 posts
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
SIDE EFFECTS: Caution with Chia Seeds (and Flax & Primrose Seeds) for those with
HYPOtension (very LOW blood pressure)...
These seeds are known for their ability to reduce blood pressure via vasodilation- a good thing for folk with HYPERtension (=High BP), but the quick reduction can be dramatic- even dangerous- for those who live with very low blood pressure already.
Much as I loved them, I had to stop using chia becoz of this effect. Everytime I tried them, within minutes my allready low blood pressure would fall thru the floor: veins overly dilated, throbbing sensation in neck vein, dizzy, faint, anxious, knot in chest, breathless, fluttery heart, skipped beats, light & dark spots before eyes. Classic signs of blood pressure plunging too low, too fast.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Polly (London, England) on 04/05/2013
★★★★★
Not a remedy as such for constipation but in my experience giving up EVERY type of wheat (especially whole wheat) cured my constipation.
It gives my husband IBS and bad tempers. So we buy pure rye, Kamut and spelt bread and have felt great relief!!
Dietary Changes
Posted by Janine (Cerritos, California, USA) on 01/12/2013
★★★★★
I rarely see anything mentioned about diet when it comes to constipation. Believe me, if you're having problems and you don't factor in what you're eating, you are making a mistake. If you are really backed up, natural methods take time to act and even then - if you're a difficult case you may have to bring out the big guns (senna, etc.) to resolve the problem in the meantime. Your body wants to be on a schedule. In brief, no matter how you resolve the problem stick with a program. Avoid dairy (until resolved), eat at least three meals a day, use sprouted grain bread, some raw and cooked (lightly) vegetables, healthy fats, probiotics (natural or supplement), enzymes (natural and/or supplements), water, exercise regularly, sleep 8 hours, meditate. To avoid laxatives look for natural solutions like flax seed and chia seed. I use Kombucha and ACV in my diet but usually not both in the same day. Natural methods will work but only if you pay attention to the big picture. You could be taking enzymes, probiotics, ACV and still be constipated if you're diet is low in fiber and fat. Don't be afraid of protein but don't overload. Grass fed beef, milk and cheese is much lower in saturated fat than what we've typically been using and raw milk and cheese are friendlier for the gut. Too much of the non raw variety of milk will cause constipation. Do your homework.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Rene (Idaho USA) on 08/12/2023
"Die off" refers to when a "pathogen" (the broad word to describe any microbe, worm, candida, mold, etc.) is killed. often that pathogen will be a host to other pathogens, so when the host is killed, the pathogens that it supported will die and all these dead pathogens have to be removed by our body. Sometimes this can make us feel sick, flu like. Our kidneys and liver have to work hard to cleanse our body of all this yucky waste. It helps ALOT if we drink extra water and remain "regular" in the bathroom by whatever means necessary (enema, fiber pills, even laxatives for a short time). as always, try to "put the good stuff in (healthy food) and get the bad stuff out". Thank you E.C.!! This sight is refreshing and helpful.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 02/22/2010
★★★★★
I had candida, and one of my symptoms was constipation -- I was lucky if I had BM or went to toilet once in 4 days. And my stools were painful, dry and hard. As part of my own protocol to both kill the candida as well as to get rid of my constipation, I took 1 tbspns virgin coconut oil 3 times a day in my coffee or raw. I also alkalized at different times daily, using Ted's baking soda alkalizing remedies.
The effect of the coconut oil and baking soda can be explained like this. When the ingested coconut oil moves from the stomach to the duodenum, the pancreas squirts out its enzymes for digestion in bicarbonate solution into the duodenum. The bile from the liver breaks the coconut oil down into small droplets and the excess alkaline bicarbonate from the pancreas combines with the coconut oil to make a form of "soap" that greatly aids in passage of faeces down the intestines. But if you are lacking in bicarbonates stored in your pancreas or the food you eat is too acid, then you will need to increase your bicarbonate intake to increase this store.
I would normally take the coconut oil directly before or directly after meals. I would take the Baking soda remedy (any will do from this site), either one hour before or 2 hours after meals.
This had quite an effect, my stools soon became smaller and much softer as a result, and after a few months of this protocol, I became regular again, with BM every day.
It was, therefore, a combination of both taking coconut oil and increasing my bicarbonate intake(Baking Soda) that helped cure my own constipation problem.
Flaxseed
Posted by Christine (Doncaster, Yorkshire) on 08/30/2009
★★★★★
I have suffered constipation for years, not anymore. I take flax seeds every night so does my friend since I recommended them to her, about 3tbls swollowed down with plenty of water.
Water
Posted by Caitlin (Austin, tx) on 05/26/2009
★★★★★
Constipation: I spoke with a naturopathic doctor who said that ACV is great in limited amounts. Said that when you take too much, the stomach stops producing its own acid; it regulates itself to the acv and may produce smaller amounts which may account for constipation. I have personally found that drinking a lot more water can regulate my bowels more than anything else. Water is the key. I met a lady who said she drank about 2 gallons of water a day and lost 50 lbs she was carrying, mostly around her stomach. That's all she did. When I saw her later in the year she said her doctor told her to cut down on the water as it was flushing her nutrients out as well which was making her feel extremely tired. Cutting back to a gallon a day worked for her.
Apple Juice, Warm
Posted by Angel (USA) on 07/11/2008
★★★★★
I was bloated swollen, there was pain in my upper left rib cage, all the way around my back. I went to the ER thinking it was my gallbladder, thank God that it wasn't. I was told that I needed to poop! I was given magnesium citrate..it took almost 2 hours to work and it didn't bring out the beasts that were within me. I called my little brother who insisted that I try some apple juice. I took out a mug and filled it with apple juice and warmed it in the microwave. About an hour and a half later, I was on the free of poop list. It worked wonderfully. Left me feeling sluggish but well worth it. I'll continue to drink a cup of warm apple juice once a week to keep myself regular. I loathe medications, so this natural remedy is what I recommend.
