Did you know that Irregular bowel movements can affect your mood? Research shows that over 33 percent of patients with constipation are anxious while over 31 percent are depressed.
Constipation
Bowel movements depend on age, physical activity, and diet. Your lifestyle might be responsible for the situation. Often we get so overwhelmed with work we find it difficult to make time to stay hydrated, exercise, and detox our minds from stress at the workplace.
Simple steps like tracking your water consumption, mild to moderate exercise and finding more time to relax can definitely be helpful in the long run.
It can also stem from conditions like IBS( Irritable bowel Syndrome ), Ulcerative Colitis or Chron’s disease which can make defecation a rather painful experience.
If you are suffering from long-term constipation you might consider lifestyle changes and visiting your physician because it can lead to Anal tears, Hemorrhoids (piles), and Fecal impaction, aka. constipation on steroids as well as Rectal bleeding after straining.
However, if short-term constipation is fairly common and here’s a list of the top 10 drinks that can help you poop immediately.
10 Drinks That Make You Poop Immediately
Here are our top 10 drinks to make you poop instantly when constipated,
1. Castor Oil
This Ancient Egyptian remedy is basically a miracle drug. Besides helping with stomach aches, cramps, and bruising it is also a stimulating laxative that cures constipation. The only downside is its taste but you can always mix it up with milk or juice and consume 2 tablespoons on empty stomach.
2. Apple Juice
Fibres and sorbitol in apple aid in defecation, and one medium apple contains 4.4 grams of fibre and 18.91 grams of sugar. The vitamins C, A, and calcium found in apples provide a variety of health benefits. Moreover, apples contain pectin, a fibre that is believed to aid digestion. Fresh locally sourced fruit has more benefits than in juice form.
3. Water
Dehydration causes the body to reuse existing body water hence a significant amount is absorbed from the colon making the stools hard. When we are dehydrated, our gut is deprived of lubrication, which also makes it difficult to pass stool. Additionally, drinking water promotes digestion and muscle function. The body can process nutrients more quickly if it is adequately hydrated, which aids in regular bowel movements.
4. Lemon Juice
Loaded with the goodness of Vitamin C and antioxidants, Lemon juice softens stools making it easier for you to pass stools. You can either make lemonade or add a few tablespoons to your morning glass of water. This cleansing drink can definitely fasten up your excretion process.
5. Coffee
But first coffee! If your day cannot start without a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee, you would be delighted to know that other than a nervous system stimulant it also stimulates peristalsis that creates an urge to poop. However, don’t overdo it or you can end up constipated out of dehydration.
6. Prune Juice
A 2014 review showed that 100 gms of prune can be as good as popular over-the-counter laxatives like psyllium. Make sure you maintain its fibre content if you’re making juice out of it. It is loaded with minerals like magnesium, potassium and sorbitol that promote intestinal functions
7. Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera is rich in lubricant and helps in restoring hydration. If you want a soothing and tasty drink to cure your bowel issue, this is the drink for you.
8. Teas
Mint- It has antispasmodic and carminative methanol that prevents cramps, relaxes muscles and eases the process of excretion.
Ginger- It is associated with a metabolism boost that speeds up digestion and excretion.
Lemon tea- Same as juice, adding lemon to your tea has better effects due to the combined action of warm water.
Senna- Brewing dried leaves of senna has been known to cure constipation
Liquorice – Those with a poor bowel movement can drink up to two cups of liquorice root tea
9. Jaggery Drink
A warm jaggery drink first thing in the morning soothes your stomach and improves digestion, clearing out all the toxins. Additionally, it can help with acidity, constipation, and other digestive problems. You can also make a jaggery smoothie to make you poop fast.
10. Baking Soda
It’s a well-known remedy for acidity but it can also cause contraction in your stomach muscles making you poop faster. Mix one tablespoon of power in one glass of water and drink up to see the results.
Also check: The Leaky Gut Diet Plan: What to Eat, What to Avoid
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Rule of Three
It is said that for a healthy adult the number of times one poop can range between 3 times a day to 3 times a week so it can be difficult to understand if you are suffering from constipation. Even if you defecate daily, you can still be constipated if you face difficulty passing stools.
Notice your stool quality next time you sit at the pot- if you have issues with the frequency of bowel movements, feel clogged or unable to empty completely, struggle during pooping or pass hard lumpy stool you might consider yourself constipated.
Why is it so harmful?
Dysbiosis- When you haven’t pooped in a while, you tend to get gassy and it not only stinks, it affects you at the cellular level, affecting your mitochondrial function which makes you lethargic.
Estrogen dominance- Irregular passing of stool means more estrogen is absorbed in your gut resulting in a wide range of problems including, fatigue, weight gain, poor sex drive, mood fluctuations, bloating, headaches, tenderness and lumps in the breast and disturbed sleep. It can also cause erectile dysfunction and weight gain in men.
How to treat Constipation
Irrespective of its cause, natural or chemical remedies have the same mechanism of action. Let’s learn how these remedies work
- Bulk Laxatives – This help when you are on a diet or have been fasting. Low food consumption creates less stool which might be difficult to pass. Bulk laxatives like dietary fibre or Isabgul might be helpful in these situations.
- Stimulant Laxatives- They stimulate your gut to cause peristalsis ( movement of gut muscles ) that help in defecation. Eg- Castor oil
- Osmotic Laxatives- As the name suggests they help to absorb water, increasing the lubrication that makes it easy to pass stool. Eg- milk of magnesia
- Stool Softeners Laxatives – They make the stool soft and help in easy excretion. Eg – water, Lemon juice
Also Read: Low Creatinine: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments
Conclusion
There’s usually no quick fix to health problems unless you’re taking medications. Unless you understand the cause of the problem, you will end up in the same place where you started. While you figure that out, we have got you covered. It is always advisable to get your physician’s advice if symptoms don’t subside.
FAQ
What Food Helps You to Poop Immediately?
- Prunes – they have lots of fibre and sorbitol, a natural laxative.
- Avocados – they are a rich source of magnesium and soften stool by drawing in water.
- Kiwi – this fruit is low in sugar and high in fibre.
- Popcorn – plain popcorn is a good substitute for chips because it has fibre.
- Flaxseed – the seeds are packed with fibre but don’t eat them whole because they will pass through you. Instead, you can use them as ingredients in smoothies, salads and more
- Oranges – contain a flavonol called naringenin, which researchers found can work like a laxative to help constipation.
- Oatmeal – it contains insoluble fibre, which can bulk up stool, helping it pass quicker.
- Aloe Vera Juice – Several studies have shown that it may function as a laxative.
- Spinach – is a green vegetable that has fibre and magnesium. Magnesium is needed for muscular contractions in the large intestine and helps to absorb water from undigested food
- Beans – they contain resistant starch, a fibre that helps improve the movement of food through the colon. It also increases the number of good gut bacteria
- Green beans – this vegetable can be helpful due to its fibre content.
- Cereal – a high-fibre cereal consumed in the morning can trigger movement.
- Wheat bran – the outer layer of a wheat kernel is full of fibre, with about 25g per cup.
- Almonds – are loaded with healthy fats, proteins, and fibre, but it is really the magnesium in them that helps with constipation.
- Kefir – is packed with probiotics, and several studies show that probiotics can ease constipation.
- Raspberries – contain double the fibre that strawberries do.
- Broccoli – this popular green vegetable has about 5.1g of insoluble fibre per cup.