14 Foods That Help Relieve Constipation

Constipation is something most people have experienced at some point in their lives. According to the Cleveland Clinic, at least 2.5 million people visit the doctor each year for constipation, making it one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the country. Constipation is officially defined as having less than three bowel movements a week. While each person is unique in terms of how often they go, doing so any fewer than three times weekly is cause for concern, especially if it lasts more than three months.

General symptoms of constipation include painful bowel movements, hard and lumpy stool, needing to strain or force, and the feeling of not having emptied out your bowels. The causes of constipation can range from severe to not so severe, so it's important to get to the root of the issue (like by asking your doctor) before you develop a treatment plan. A few such culprits can include a lack of fiber in your diet, dehydration, a blockage in the colon, weakened pelvic muscles, and more (via Cleveland Clinic).

While it can be extremely frustrating to feel "backed up," there are thankfully many ways to relieve constipation. Starting with your diet is one of the easiest and most affordable of them all. It certainly makes sense that what we put into our bodies will affect the way things move out, after all. Continue reading to discover 13 of the best foods to incorporate into your diet to finally get some relief from constipation.

If you're looking for a versatile and nutritionally packed source of constipation relief, then look no further than wheat bran. Providing 13 grams of fiber (that would be about 99% of your daily value of the stuff), as well as five grams of protein, wheat bran is an ideal kitchen staple to help keep you regular (via Healthline). Wheat bran is actually the hard "shell" of individual wheat grain and is actually a byproduct of the milling process. It's low in fat and calories, has a nutty flavor, and can be added to muffins, bread, and other baked goods to boost fiber content and create more bulk.

The fiber found in wheat bran is insoluble, which means it draws water into your stool, thus softening it, reducing strain, and improving regularity (via Healthline). Wheat bran also helps to reduce bloating and is a good source of prebiotics, which help feed healthy gut bacteria and improve overall gut health. A 2012 study published by the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition also states that wheat bran may have a positive effect on the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Broccoli is another high-fiber, nutrient-dense vegetable that is great for digestion. It belongs to the cruciferous group of vegetables, which includes kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage (via Healthline). What makes broccoli unique from other fiber-filled veggies is that it contains sulforaphane, a plant compound that has been linked to improved digestion (via Medical News Today). 

According to a study published by The Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, sulforaphane prevents the overgrowth of some not-so-great gut bacteria. The study compared stool samples from 24 people who had eaten broccoli daily for four weeks and those who ate alfalfa sprouts, which contain no sulforaphane, for the same amount of time. Researchers found that those who had eaten the broccoli experienced a greater overall improvement in their bowel health. There are many ways to prepare broccoli and you can get the benefits from eating it both raw and cooked. However, a study published by Nutrition Research proves that the best way to get the most nutrients from the vegetable is by gently steaming it, so try starting there.

Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable that brings a well-rounded set of benefits to the table in terms of digestive, immune, and eye health. Most people are familiar with orange sweet potatoes, but there is an assortment of colors available including both cream and purple, each of which have their own unique benefits (via WebMD). Generally speaking, one cup of the root vegetable packs six grams of total fiber per serving, including both soluble and insoluble fibers — a pretty great benefit if you're looking to relieve chronic constipation. WebMD also mentions that sweet potatoes provide prebiotics, which can help improve overall gut health by encouraging the proliferation of useful gut bacteria.

Sweet potatoes can be prepared in many ways in both sweet and savory dishes. However, according to WebMD, boiling and steaming them are great options for those who are looking to monitor their blood sugar, as these methods help to lower the glycemic load of the vegetable. The site also suggests cooking them in a slow cooker mixed with other veggies to make a stew.

Pears are another delicious fruit that are associated with improved digestion. According to Healthline, one medium-sized pear contains six grams of fiber, including both soluble and insoluble fibers. Similar to apples, a majority of the fiber found in pears is in the skin, so don't peel them if you want to receive the most digestive benefits from this fruit.

Furthermore, according to Medical News Today, in addition to fiber, pears also contain sorbitol, a kind of fruit alcohol that is known to improve digestion. Sorbitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol and carbohydrate that is found in a variety of fruits including apples, peaches, berries, and plums (via Healthline). It even has over-the-counter applications for those struggling with constipation, according to RXlist. However, if you already have a fresh pear on hand, then there is probably no immediate need to make a run for the drugstore. Enjoy them alone as snacking fruit, in salads, or even in baked applications.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit... Playground songs aside, beans belong to the family of plants called legumes, which are highly nutritious and beneficial foods that are generally great for your digestive health. Foods in this family of plants include peas, beans, lentils, green beans, and more. Lentils are a particularly rich source of fiber, providing a whopping 16 grams per serving, according to MedicineNet.

Legumes contain both soluble fiber and another beneficial compound called resistant starch, per Healthline. This is a type of particular type of starch that doesn't get digested in the stomach or small intestine, but instead ferments in the large intestine. In the process, resistant starch helps to encourage the growth of good bacteria there and improves your gut health. All of this reduces the likelihood of constipation and can lead to improvements in colon health, like a decrease in the risk of colorectal cancer (via WebMD). 

There is truly an abundance of ways to prepare legumes, from chilis to stews to casseroles. They are an excellent source of protein, too, so they may be beneficial to those who want to cut back on or eliminate meat from their diets (via Mayo Clinic). Just be sure to get your prep work done. Most legumes need to be soaked before preparation, with the exception of a few smaller ones such as lentils and black-eyed peas. Mayo Clinic suggests soaking a pound of beans with 10 cups of water and letting them slow soak overnight before preparing them.

Oat bran, which is similar to wheat bran, is a part of the grain that has been isolated, processed separately, and sold for consumption. The "bran" is the layer beneath the inedible outer shell of the oat. According to Healthline, one cup of oat bran has 14.5 grams of fiber per serving (that's soluble and insoluble, for those who are counting). That comes out to about one and a half times more than what you'll find in more traditionally prepared oats. 

In a study published by Current Medical Research and Opinion, 50 elderly patients who were dealing with constipation were given bran biscuits to eat twice daily over 12 weeks. At the conclusion of the study, bowel movement frequency, stool consistency, and pain were all reduced. Oat bran, like wheat bran, can be added to smoothies, integrated into baked goods, and even eaten on its own as a breakfast cereal by adding milk, salt, honey, and cinnamon.

Perhaps one of the most well-known foods that can help facilitate digestion are prunes (which are actually dried plums, by the way). These seemingly humble fruits have good reason to claim the top spot in this category. A study published by Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics suggested that prunes should be used as one of the first efforts to help treat moderate to severe constipation. Like pears, prunes contain a significant amount of sorbitol, which in addition to high amounts of insoluble fiber, help prunes to act as a natural laxative (via WebMD). According to Medical News Today, a serving of 10 prunes contain 7.1 grams of fiber, which is 28.4% of the recommended daily value for most adults.

Another way to extract the benefits of prunes is by drinking prune juice. Because prunes are dried, the juice is made by boiling prunes in water and filtering out the pulp (via Medicine Net). A small study by Nutrition Research observed subjects for a four-week period, providing them prune juice for two weeks. The study found that, during the two weeks the subjects were given prune juice, their bowel movements were less difficult than in the weeks without, concluding that the juice provided a "mild laxative effect" and could be successfully used as an alternative to over-the-counter laxatives.