What Are Some Good Daily Supplements for Adult Constipation?

Updated on December 29, 2012
P.C. asks from Palo Alto, CA
16 answers

So as I get a bit older, I'm realizing my innards need a bit more fiber or something to move things along. My doctor suggested daily Metamucil, but I looked at the ingredients, and I'm not really wanting to be ingesting all kids of things that I can't pronounce each day. I eat well most days, but sometimes I get super busy or I'm traveling, and then don't eat as much fruit, etc. as I should. On those days, can anyone suggest a *natural* supplement I can take that will help? Or even something I could take daily on top of my normal diet that would prevent things from getting blocked up? Miralax works when things get really bad, but I've heard that one should not depend on laxatives long-term . . .

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J.S.

answers from Hartford on

Fiber, fruit, veggies, and lots and lots of water. Constipation is a really good sign that you're not drinking enough water and are dehydrated.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.S.

answers from Boca Raton on

SMOOTH MOVE teas !!!

Look, I'm a busy mother who can barely get her child to eat fruits & veggies everyday. I do my best! Some days I get a lot of fruits & veggies into my body, some days not so much. 2-3 times a month( or more ) I make tea called SMOOTH MOVE. I can drink it hot or cold(like iced tea). It works for my occasional but regular constipation. Buy at most grocery stores.

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A.C.

answers from Madison on

Water--because your body is most likely dehydrated. Drink at least 10 8-oz glasses of water a day, regardless if you feel thirsty or not.

Once in a while--or maybe every three to four days--take some CALM, a natural laxative that is magnesium. It will gently stimulate your colon and help ensure that you go. It can be found at Whole Foods and online at places like vitacost.com. I usually only take it when I haven't gone for a few days.

Eating lots of vegetables, especially greens. Greens will give you the specific type of fiber you want that will help you eliminate.

Eating fruit will help, but it needs to be the whole fruit so that you get the skin(s) as well. Eating the whole fruit will help slow down the fructose from entering your bloodstream too soon/fast.

Fiber that is soluble in water takes on a soft texture and helps soften the stools. Insoluble fiber passes through the intestine largely unchanged and adds bulk to stools, which in turn helps to stimulate bowel contractions.

Some good recommened foods to eat daily or often: fresh fruits, raw green leafy vegetables, whole-grain oatmeal, brown rice. Also eat asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, garlic, kale, okra, peas, sweet potatoes, and whole grains.

Soluble fiber foods: adzuki beans, barley, dried beans, oats, some fruits *(apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, figs, grapes, peaches, and prunes).

Insoluble fiber foods: cereals, seeds, wheat bran, whole grains, the skins of many fruits and vegetables.

Consume plenty of foods high in pectin: apples, carrots, beets, bananas, cabbage, citrus fruits, dried peas, okra.

Cut out as much processed food as possible, as well as fast-food (no fried food). Also cut down on white flour/bread or anything made from white flour, diary products, soft drinks, meat, sugar, as well as salt, coffee, alcohol. These foods are difficult to digest and have little to no fiber.

Avoid consuming/using products like mineral oil, which can interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Also avoid taking Epsom salts, milk of magnesia, and citrate of magnesia, which draw volumes of fluid into the intestines and wash out minerals from the body.

If you use laxatives, take acidophilus to replace the "friendly" bacteria. The continued use of laxatives cleans out the intestinal bacteria and leads to chronic constipation.

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

If you don't eat fruit and vegetables, drink fruit juice or vegetable juice.

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M.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

Magnesium works well for me.

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M.F.

answers from Phoenix on

My go-to is dried fruit-cherries or apricots work best for me. Natural, easy to carry anywhere, yummy and good for you too. A handful or two a day should keep things moving smoothly. Adjust amount accordingly. Good luck!

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K.A.

answers from San Diego on

My best suggestion is to drink pear juice when needed. The kids' pediatrician recommended it when the kids were little and we didn't want to give them heavy medicines.
I drank it a lot while pregnant because I kept having problems with constipation.
It really works!
Other than that, the usual of drinking more water etc is the best remedy.

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A.H.

answers from Omaha on

I have learned what my limits are over the years. I stick with foods I need to eat on a regular basis and limit the ones I can't. For example, I love dairy products-milk, ice cream, cheese, and yogurt (which I eat partly for the live active cultures to prevent yeast/bacterial infections!) However, too much of these and I start to notice things stop moving along. I have also noticed too much greasy,high fat foods and rich chocolate treats like candy, cakes and cookies cause problems for me too. To prevent this I eat lots of green, leafy vegetables (so at least one salad a day) and apples are my go-to foods to keep me regular. Orange juice and prunes help too and of course drink lots of water. You can eat all the fiber you want, but if you don't drink water to move it all along, you won't notice the fiber helping you out at all.
So figure out what foods cause you the most problem and limit them and which ones that help keep things regular. Eat the helpful foods as part of your regular diet (you can find a salad at most fast food places these days and apples/oranges are easy enough to carry) even if traveling. Sometimes I will restrict my diet to fruits and veggies, lean protein, high fiber bread and water for a day. That usually solves the problem, but it takes some time to get through the system. Good luck!
P.S. Exercise helps too. If you aren't too uncomfortable just walking around can help things start moving.
A.

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N.A.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi P.C. I used to have the same problem. I changed my diet and added alkaline water along with lactoferrin. Its a natural way for myself and my granddaughters to stay regular.

If you would like to know more email me and I will guide you in the right direction.

Happy New Year.

N. Marie
____@____.com

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P.R.

answers from Cleveland on

I'd try flax seed oil pills. Worked well for my daughter (oil form for her) when she was a toddler and also good for you overall (or so I've heard)

L.B.

answers from New York on

A prune for breakfast, and dinner and a prune and date for lunch - it works.
Or,you can make a mixture of applesauce, wheat bran cereal (pellets), prune juice -mix together should be pudding consistency - eat 30 cc per day. Mixture stays good in refrigerator for 72 hours.

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Drink more water. Eat dried fruit. If you are traveling order a salad instead of a burger.

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B.F.

answers from Dallas on

Miralax is not really a laxitive thus does not fall under its restrictions. Your doctor recommended it so I would feel comfortable with it.

That said, you can take Magnesium and that helps especially if you take Nexium everyday like I do. (Think milk of magnesia). If you take calcium daily (for osteoperosis) it can cause stomach problems but if you take the magnesium with it your stomach won't feel so bad.

D.D.

answers from New York on

I agree with Missy's recommendation of dried fruit. Plus make sure you are drinking lots of water during the day.

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

You can make a smoothie with blueberries and add some whole psyllium to it. You can buy whole psyllium in bulk, or as a packaged product, and see how much to add. My midwife suggested blueberries when I was dealing with regularity during pregnancy--- she also suggested not to eat any more than a cup or so, so as not to make things too 'active'. In any case, these were the two things she recommended. I also had good luck with the psyllium product "Konsyl" , which can be mixed with juice--perfect for days when you are traveling.

Also, avoid constipating foods. Bananas and white rice, wheat products, are all culprits.

ETA: I notice that a lot of people suggest dried fruit. This is great, but as they said, it needs LOTS of water to go with it, as it will rehydrate during digestion. (I used to stew prunes for the constipated toddlers I cared for, that way they were re-hydrated before eating.)

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C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I have taken Magnesium tablets to help me. The best thing to do is eat lots of fruit and vegetables.
My grandfather used to eat stewed prunes every day.

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