Best Foods To Help With Constipation
And although constipation can be caused by medical conditions , medications , and other factors that may be out of your control, for most of us, it’s caused by what we’re eatingor, rather, not eating, Elizabeth Blaney, MD, gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, tells Health. .
Beans That Don’t Cause Gas
Aside from canned lentils and red lentils, there are other beans that don’t cause gas, stomach pain or other digestion-related side effects. The same study in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that bean sprouts have the least fermentable carbohydrates out of all bean and legume products. Beans sprouts are often just as rich in nutrients and beneficial bioactive compounds as are unsprouted bean products.
Read more:The Health Benefits of Sprouts and 9 Foods to Try Today
If you aren’t interested in exclusively eating lentils and bean sprouts but do have issues with beans and digestion, there are other things you can do to minimize your gastrointestinal issues. If you’re eating dried beans, soak them before cooking as an important first step in reducing their quantity of fermentable carbohydrates. Make sure you don’t use this water to cook with it needs to be discarded before you start cooking your beans.
According to a July 2014 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this can help reduce the fermentable oligosaccharides in your beans by up to 76 percent. Cooking your beans in water with a more alkaline pH or fermenting your beans can help to reduce their oligosaccharide content even more.
If these strategies aren’t helping your bean-related digestion issues, remember that beans can all be very different from one another. Unfortunately, this means that the effectiveness of these strategies will be different too.
Can Beans Cause Constipation
4.6/5canconstipatedbeansandandcan cause constipation
Simply so, are beans constipating?
1. Beans for constipation relief. Beans have more than 10 grams of fiber per cup serving that’s more than almost any other fiber source. Beans have a great mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which helps the food keep moving through the intestines to relieve constipation.
Similarly, what should I eat to avoid constipation?
- whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, and bran flake cereals.
- legumes, such as lentils, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, and chickpeas.
- fruits, such as berries, apples with the skin on, oranges, and pears.
Hereof, what foods make you constipated?
7 Foods That Can Cause Constipation
- Alcohol. Alcohol is frequently mentioned as a likely cause of constipation.
- Gluten-containing foods. Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and triticale.
- Processed grains.
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Bowel Movement Basics: What Makes You Poop
What makes you poop might be different than what makes someone else poop. However, for many people, caffeine is a trigger for bowel movements. Caffeine increases levels of cholecystokinin, which can regulate bowel movement and help with fecal elimination. There are cases where caffeinated drinks dont seem to work for a person who is constipated, but consuming spicy food does. This is due to the fact that spicy foods contain capsaicin, a substance that irritates the bowels and leads to movement.
Experts say that one of the best things a person can do when they are constipated is drink a lot of water. Since constipation is related to dehydration in the colon, plenty of water is needed.
When a person is constipated, multiple factors can be at play, but the bottom line is that regular bowel evacuation is vital since we need to eliminate toxins from our body. Failure to do so can lead to more serious health issues, including toxicity, bacteria growth in the gut, or diverticulitis .
The Five Most Common Culprits:

If IBS-D is your problem, please read my post “Is Fructose Malabsorption Causing Your IBS?” To learn more about the questionable role fiber plays in your digestion, read my article “Pulp Fiction: The Truth about Fiber.”
How about you?
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Are Rice & Beans Good For Constipation
If you experience constipation, consult your physician and consider adding high-fiber foods like rice and beans to your diet to prevent recurrence 2.Consumption of fiber daily can prevent constipation because it helps form soft, bulky stool 2.Processed foods like white grains, snack chips or candies and frozen dinners generally have minimal fiber.Kidney, navy, black and pinto beans mixed with rice make a fiber-rich meal to ease constipation 2.Drink plenty of water daily to prevent dehydration when you are constipated and to help digest fiber.Moderate daily exercise at 20 to 30 minutes a day also aids in digestive regulation. .
Best Snacks For Constipation
Fruit: Apples and pears are quite portable.
Granola: Make your own granola to reduce added sugar and to ensure that you are adding grains, seeds, and nuts that you can tolerate.
Hummus: This fiber-rich snack is very portable and you can enjoy it with raw vegetable sticks such as carrots or celery.
Nuts: Brazil nuts, pecans, and walnuts are generally well-tolerated by all.
Trail mix: Make your own to ensure that you are eating foods that are suited for you. You can add some nuts, seeds, dark chocolate and dried fruit .
Vegetables: Carrots and celery are classic nibbles.
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Whole Grain Bread For Constipation Relief
Whole grains have lots of fiber, which is a good choice not only for the bowels, but also the heart.
- Researchers at the University of Finland in Helsinki found whole grain rye bread to be better than wheat bread and laxatives for relieving constipation. They reported their findings in the Journal of Nutrition in 2010. Their subjects ate enough slices to get 30 grams of fiber a day, but you don’t have to eat that much for it to work.
- Arabinoxylan, the main component of dietary fiber in rye, helps keep food moving through the intestine.
- Ezekiel bread is another good choice for relief of constipation. It is bread made of sprouted whole grains and legumes, which provides a good dose of fiber and nutrients.
What Should A Child Eat When Constipated
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Dried Fruit For Constipation Relief
- Dried fruit is a smart choice if you’re feeling constipated, as it actually contains more fiber than fresh fruit per serving.
- An easy snack is raisins, with 7 g fiber per cup .
- Aside from prunes, dried fruits such as figs, raisins, and dried apricots are excellent sources of fiber.
- Add dried fruit to cereal, or bake it into bran muffins. Soak it in water to soften it if it’s hard to chew.
Just remember that while dried fruit has more fiber than fresh fruit, it also has more calories.
Are Canned Beans Bad For You
Beans are super healthy, full of vitamins and minerals, protein-packed, and fiber-rich. But canned beans can be high in sodium, which is a problem for those with high blood pressure and those who want to avoid it. According to Dr. Gourmet, there are 400-500 mg of sodium in a 1/2 cup of canned beans.
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Flaxseed For Constipation Relief
- Flaxseed can help with constipation and is a great source of fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Just one tablespoon of both brown and golden flax seed has 2.8 g fiber, both soluble and insoluble.
- Most of the fiber is found in the husk of the flax seed, and ground flax seed is generally recommended for easier absorption of the fiber.
- It’s easy to add flax seed to smoothies, on top of salads, or in oatmeal.
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Best Fruits For Constipation
Fruits are a great option for easing constipation. Most are an excellent source of dietary fiber, along with providing you with a whole host of other nutritional benefits. Although there is no hard science on the matter, you may find that your body responds better to fruit that has been cooked or dried, as opposed to raw.
Here are some fruits that are thought to be helpful in easing constipation.
- Raisins
Prunes For Constipation Relief
- Prunes were grandma’s remedy. They could be yours, too. Prunes are high in insoluble fiber as well as the natural laxativesorbitol, which can help you “go.”
- Researchers at the University of Iowa tested dried, pitted plums against psyllium in 40 adults who were constipated. Those given the plums had measurably higher spontaneous bowel movements than those given the laxative.
- Prunes juice is also helpful at relieving constipation in babies.
Medically Reviewed on 3/25/2021Aliment Pharmacol TherJournal of Nutrition
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May Support Gut Health
Just 1/2 cup of baked beans supplies 18% of the RDI for fiber. Fiber supports gut health, including regular bowel movements .
Fiber also nourishes the microbes in your large intestine or colon. This may increase the number of beneficial bacteria linked to reduced colon cancer risk (
15 ).
When adults with high cholesterol ate 1/2 cup of baked beans daily for two months, they saw a 5.6% decrease in total cholesterol compared to when they did not eat beans .
In another study, men with borderline-high cholesterol ate 5 cups of baked beans weekly for 1 month. They experienced an 11.5% and 18% decrease in total and LDL cholesterol, respectively .
Summary
Canned baked beans are a quick and tasty way to eat legumes. They also support gut health and may lower cholesterol.
On the other hand, baked beans have some drawbacks many of which you can minimize by making them from scratch.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Every cell in your body needs water to function to its best ability. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will compensate by pulling water out of your intestines. This may result in hard stools that contribute to constipation.
Drink water throughout your day. You will know that you are drinking enough if your urine is clear.
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Best Vegetables For Constipation
Eating lots of vegetables, including green leafy vegetables, is one of the best strategies for keeping your bowels moving regularly. In addition to getting that healthy dose of fiber, vegetables also provide a whole range of nutrients that are good for your digestive and overall health.
As is the case with fruits, you may find that your body responds in a more comfortable way to cooked rather than raw vegetables. Enjoy vegetable soup made with a variety of high-fiber vegetables.
The following vegetables are thought to be beneficial for easing constipation.
List Of Foods That Can Cause Constipation And How To Prevent It
However, people with digestive or other health conditions may find that eating certain foods can trigger or worsen constipation .People with chronic constipation may also find that specific foods impact their symptoms.A person may not be getting enough fiber if they eat a lot of meat, dairy products, and refined carbohydrates but do not eat many vegetables, fruits, or whole grains.It is worth noting that some people with digestive conditions or IBD find that eating high fiber foods can make their symptoms worse.People with IBS and some other digestive conditions may find that foods high in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols worsen their symptoms.People whose bodies have difficulty digesting these foods may feel better by eating a low FODMAP diet, which involves avoiding high FODMAP foods for a set period of time.A 2011 study into constipation in children found that when the participants eliminated food allergens from their diet, their constipation improved.Some people believe that eggs can cause constipation.They are a low fiber food, though, so eating a lot of them may contribute to constipation.Egg allergies are also among the most common food allergies, which could explain why some peoples bodies have difficulty digesting them. .
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Nuts And Seeds For Constipation Relief
Nuts are a filling food that is also packed with fiber to help ease constipation.
- Almonds, pecans, and walnuts have more fiber than other nuts. Just 1 ounce of almonds contains 3.5 g fiber, 1 ounce of pecans contains 2.7 g fiber, and 1 ounce of walnuts has 1.9 g fiber.
- Seeds are another good fiber-filled choice for constipation relief. A scant 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds contains 1.1 g fiber, while 1 ounce of pumpkin seeds has a whopping 5 g fiber. Sprinkle seeds on top of salads for added fiber and crunch.
Remember that nuts and seeds are high in calories, so keep portions small. Choose nuts and seeds that are raw or dry roasted, rather than roasted in oil.
Not Just Prunes: Foods To Help You Get Regular

Constipation afflicts 42 million people in the U.S.
Not drinking enough water contributes to constipation
Eating a breakfast filled with higher fiber foods will prompt your natural urge to go
Constipation isnt the most glamorous of topics but having it sure isnt fun. For one, its extremely common, afflicting 42 million people in the United States. Each of us has different bathroom habits, but most experts say that three or fewer bowel movements per week could indicate a problem. And although constipation can be caused by medical conditions , medications , and other factors that may be out of your control, for most of us, its caused by what were eating or, rather, not eating, says Elizabeth Blaney, MD, gastroenterologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. The average American gets just 15 grams of fiber a day, though experts recommend at least 25. Most of us dont drink enough water, either, which also contributes to constipation. Get things moving again with the 15 foods that follow.
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Top 10 Foods That Are Good For Constipation
Constipation is a common bowel condition caused by a poor diet and lifestyle. You are constipated if the frequency of your bowel movements suddenly decreases from every other day to once a week. You will also notice that the quality of your stools has changed from soft and moist to hard and dry. In most cases, you may experience discomfort or pain while you are pooping.
If your bowel movement includes severe bleeding and pain, we advise consulting your doctor as this can be a sign of a more serious bowel condition. But if that isnt the case, your constipation is most likely the result of a poor diet, and addressing it means you need to increase your fibre and fluid intake.
Signs Symptoms And Causes
You might feel bloated and have pain, or you might have to strain when you try to go.
Some medicines, and even some vitamins, can make you constipated. You can get constipated if you do not get enough fiber, drink enough water, or get enough exercise. You can also get constipated if you put off going to the bathroom even though you have the urge to go.
Try to get to know your normal bowel movement pattern, so that you can keep constipation from getting worse.
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Toxins Beans And Digestion Problems
Many people experience issues with beans and digestion. For some, this is due to natural toxins found in certain beans. Most of these toxins are only present when the beans are raw, and otherwise only affect people who consume beans in excessive amounts.
For example, kidney beans contain lectin, a mild toxin. If you haven’t thoroughly cooked your kidney beans, you might find yourself with a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including stomachaches, nausea and vomiting. The next time you eat kidney beans and stomach cramps occur, consider how your food was prepared. Thoroughly cooked beans and precooked canned beans shouldn’t give you any gut issues.
Other beans that contain lectins include broad beans and runner beans. Soybeans contain a different toxin, known as a trypsin inhibitor. As with lectins, the trypsin inhibitor in soybeans goes away when this food has been cooked thoroughly.