Today, the problem of constipation has become so common in India that you can hear the name of constipation from the mouth of every second person. However, the problem of constipation depends a lot on your eating and drinking habits. A lack of fiber in your diet is most likely to cause constipation. Therefore, eat more and more fiber-rich foods in your diet.

(Read more - 7 Foods that can cause constipation)

Doctors recommend that at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber should be taken daily. Apart from this, constipation patients should also know what to eat and what not to eat in case of constipation.

  1. Foods To Eat In Constipation
  2. Foods Not To Eat During Constipation
  3. Summary
Doctors for Combat Constipation With A Balanced Diet : What To Eat And What Not

The most important thing is that you increase your fiber intake. Including fiber in the diet increases the weight of stool, which makes bowel movement easier. Gradually start eating more fresh fruits and vegetables each day. Choose whole grain bread. Let us know about all this in detail -

Benefits Of Popcorn For Constipation

Popcorn has very low calorie content and very high fiber content. So eat popcorn, but eat popcorn without salt and without butter. Only good quality popcorn made in the microwave should be eaten. Popcorn is a whole grain and whole grains contain the highest amount of fiber. Fiber works like a panacea in the treatment of constipation. 

(Read more - How to get rid of constipation)

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Benefits Of Eating Beans For Constipation

Beans or legumes and lentils contain twice the fiber as vegetables. Half a cup of pods contains about 10 grams of fiber. Fiber is very beneficial in reducing constipation. Therefore, one should eat as much fiber-rich foods as possible. You can eat beans by mixing them with the following food items like salad, soup, casserole and pasta.

(Read more – Preventing Constipation in Children)

Benefits Of Eating Dry Fruits For Constipation

Dry fruits like dates, figs, apricots and raisins are good sources of fiber. Fiber is helpful in reducing constipation. Apart from this, along with fiber, sorbitol (sorbitol is a type of carbohydrate) is also found in plums, which is very beneficial in providing relief from constipation. Fiber maintains water content in your intestine and also helps in bowel movements. Along with this, it also cures constipation. Dry fruits contain a lot of calories and sugar, so eat them keeping this in mind.

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Bread For Constipation

If you are very troubled by the problem of constipation and want to get rid of it, then eat whole grain bread instead of normal bread in the morning breakfast. Whole grain bread has less fat and more fiber and carbohydrates. Fiber is very beneficial in treating constipation. However, be careful while buying whole bread grain and buy it only after researching it thoroughly.

(Read more - Constipation in Children)

Benefits Of Fiber For Constipation

To get relief from constipation, choose fiber rich foods. Along with this, eat such grains which contain at least 6 to 7 grams of fiber in 1 tablespoon. If your favorite cereal does not have high fiber content, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of wheat bran, chia seeds and flax seeds to it.

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Benefits Of Broccoli For Constipation

Broccoli has the highest amount of fiber. Apart from this, it is also rich in calories and nutrients. Eating raw broccoli helps a lot in reducing constipation, because cooking it reduces the amount of fiber present in it. If you cannot eat raw broccoli, it should be boiled or steamed. To make it a little tastier, you can also add olive oil, salt and pepper to it.

(Read more - Stomach Infection)

Benefits Of Fruits For Constipation

In case of constipation, you feel full or bloated. In such a situation, eating fruits like plum, pineapple and apple gives you relief from constipation, because a lot of fiber is present in their peels. Keep in mind that do not peel these fruits and eat them because their peels contain the most fiber. About 4 to 5 grams of fiber is present in 1 apple. Apart from this, pectin is also present in these fruits, which helps in reducing constipation.

(Read more - Bloating)

Benefits Of Dry Fruits For Constipation

Dry fruits also contain a lot of fiber. Almonds and walnuts are good sources of fiber. About 3 to 4 grams of fiber is present in 30 grams of almonds. Apart from this, about 3 grams of fiber is present in 1 teaspoon of pistachio. But, it depends on you how many grams of fiber you want to eat in a day. Along with this, you should also keep in mind that dry fruits contain a lot of calories, hence they should be eaten keeping this in mind.

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To get relief from constipation, it is important to know what to eat, but it is equally important to know what should not be eaten and which foods should be avoided. For example, dairy products, processed foods, and packaged foods should be avoided. Let us know about them in detail -

Side Effects Of Dairy Products

Cheese, ice cream and other dairy products are very harmful in constipation. Therefore, these food items should not be eaten during constipation. Dairy products are made from milk and milk increases the problem of constipation. Apart from this, when children have constipation problems, milk should not be given, it further increases constipation. Eat fruits instead of milk, this will help in curing constipation.

(Read more - Causes and Treatment for Abdominal Pain)

Side Effects Of Red Meat Eating

Red meat in itself does not promote constipation. It becomes harmful when you eat it daily and it starts replacing fiber in your diet. Also when you eat a lot of red meat, you always feel full. Include more fiber-rich foods, such as boiled potatoes and salads, in your diet. This will give you relief from the problem of constipation.

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Side Effects Of Eating Chips Everyday

Snacks like potato chips and other types of chips are very harmful in case of constipation. Therefore these food items should not be eaten. Apart from this, high-fat foods, such as potato chips and others, hinder bowel movements. Therefore, instead of high fat snacks, one should eat more fiber rich foods.

(Read more - Home remedies for stomach gas)

Side Effects Of Bakery Products

Bakery products like cookies, pastries and cakes contain refined carbohydrates, which are harmful for constipation. Apart from this, there is very little amount of fiber in these foods. Therefore, in case of constipation, one should not eat high fat foods. Eating fruits instead of these food items, fruits help in providing relief from constipation.

(Read more - healthy food and their health benefits)

Banana Effect On Constipation

It is very interesting that bananas provide relief from constipation and also cause constipation. Both these things depend on whether the banana is raw or ripe. Raw banana causes constipation, but ripe banana helps in providing relief from constipation as it contains soluble fiber. This soluble fiber helps in flushing out waste material from the intestine and is also helpful in reducing constipation. Therefore, to cure constipation, one should eat good quality and ripe bananas.

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Side Effects Of Fried Foods

Constipation patients should not eat excessive fried foods like French fries and chips etc. These foods weaken the digestive power. Along with this, eating too much fish also has a negative effect on your digestive system and increases the problem of constipation. Deeply fried foods like potato chips and other foods take a long time to digest. Therefore, use a steaming or broiling method to cook food.

(Read more - Best cooking method to retain nutrients)

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Side Effects Of Alcohol Drinking

Drinking alcohol causes constipation. Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol causes excessive water to be excreted from the body in the form of urine, causing dehydration in your body. Therefore one should not drink too much alcohol. Your body loses water when you drink less water or lose more water in the form of urine. Lack of water causes constipation. However, till now no such fact has been obtained on the basis of which it can be said that alcohol is directly related to the problem of constipation. However, the effect of alcohol is different on each person.

(Read more -Benefits of drinking water in the morning)

Side Effects Of Eating Too Much Processed Food

Processed foods, such as white bread, white rice and white pasta, contain very little nutrients. Eating these causes constipation. This happens because the bran or husk is completely separated during the manufacturing process. You should be aware that bran or husk contains a lot of fiber and nutrients, which help in bowel movement. Many studies have confirmed that eating more fiber reduces the risk of constipation. A recently released report confirmed that every gram of fiber reduces the risk of constipation by 2 percent.

(Read more – Porridge: Benefits and side effects)

It is important to eat the right diet to get relief from the problem of constipation. Eating fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans improves constipation because they keep the digestive system healthy and soften the stool. It is also important to drink an adequate amount of water, it maintains moisture in the body and prevents the stool from becoming hard. Additionally, foods containing prebiotics and probiotics such as yogurt and kimchi aid digestion. To avoid constipation, one should avoid fried, spicy and excessively fatty foods, as these can slow down the digestion process. Apart from this, excessive consumption of processed food, red meat and dairy products can also increase constipation. Excessive consumption of caffeine and alcohol can also cause dehydration in the body, which can increase the problem of constipation. Consuming a balanced and nutritious diet is important for a healthy digestive system.

Dr. Dhanamjaya D

Dr. Dhanamjaya D

Nutritionist
16 Years of Experience

Dt. Surbhi Upadhyay

Dt. Surbhi Upadhyay

Nutritionist
3 Years of Experience

Dt. Manjari Purwar

Dt. Manjari Purwar

Nutritionist
11 Years of Experience

Dt. Akanksha Mishra

Dt. Akanksha Mishra

Nutritionist
8 Years of Experience

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