Herbal products against constipation

Laxatives against constipation

The occasional use of laxative herbal products, against constipation, is useful for subjective transient symptoms: many people have the bad habit of using laxatives with purposes other than constipation, including weight loss. Natural laxatives, such as pharmacological ones, should not be used for too long: in fact, if the body gets used to it, it is subjected to a period of intestinal atony, an effect strengthened above all by irritating laxatives, which exert their action altering the physiology intestinal.

Laxative herbal products should only be used in case of constipation; according to the Ministry of Health, it is "constipated" if the number of weekly evacuations is less than two.

Causes of constipation

Constipation can be caused by a diet low in fiber associated with a sedentary lifestyle: in this case the most effective remedy is not represented by laxative herbal products, but by the correction of eating habits and the adoption of a more appropriate lifestyle.

Often connected to constipation, we find dyspeptic problems, sometimes considered cause, sometimes effects: in this case constipation occurs because the body needs more time to finish digestion.

Herbal laxatives

Among the laxative herbal products we mention:

Lubricating laxatives
Irritating laxatives
Osmotic laxatives
Volume laxatives

Water is a fundamental element, to be always accompanied by this category of products, although in some way we can already consider a sort of natural laxative against constipation. Precisely for this reason, tradition teaches us to drink half a glass of warm water in the morning as soon as we wake up, to stimulate intestinal function.

Lubricating laxatives

Herbal medicine offers a vast quantity of lubricating laxatives: among the natural ones stands out sweet almond oil, derived from the pressing of the seeds of prunus amigdalus . The oil obtained has a straw yellow color and, administered orally, is an excellent lubricating laxative: in fact, it does not interfere with the physiology of the intestine and improves the rhythm of the evacuations. Two teaspoons of almond oil should be taken before meals.

Irritating and stimulating laxatives

This category of natural products is made up of anthraquinone drugs: these are irritant laxatives and involve side effects similar to the drugs used against constipation. Senna, cascara, frangola, aloe juice, rhubarb are the drugs used: anthraquinone laxatives are the most risky because, by directly interfering with the physiology of the last intestinal tract, they can cause diarrhea accompanied by substantial abdominal cramps.

Osmotic laxatives

There are some plants that, thanks to their properties, are able to favor peristalsis by attracting water in the intestinal lumen, consequently soft stools will form. These herbal products do not cause irritation, such as stimulant laxatives, since there is no direct interference on the intestine (its physiology is not altered).

Magnesia stands out in this category, which is an excellent osmotic laxative of mineral origin. In herbal medicine, then, we can find drugs rich in organic acids and sugars, such as manna and tamarind . The cannellata or Sicilian manna represents the exudate produced by the incision of the bark of the ash; the name "manna" derives from its main constituent (mannitol, which constitutes 98% of the phytocomplex). The tamarind acts thanks to the organic acids contained: usually, the tamarind is associated with volume laxatives that stimulate peristalsis.

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Mass or mass laxatives

Among the natural products with laxative action sold in herbal medicine also stand out heteropolysaccharide formulations and fibers (carbohydrate molecules), which indirectly stimulate intestinal peristalsis: this is the case of the plum ( Prunus domestica ), commonly called plum, of psyllium (seeds) and bran (a vegetable processing by-product). Cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose also fall into this category, and although they are semi-synthetic products, they can be sold in herbal medicine.

Constipation is an annoying disorder, also linked to stress conditions; moreover, constipation can be connected to other problems that burden the problem, such as abdominal swelling, malaise, nervousness, dyspepsia and fatigue.

The expert will have to recommend the most suitable herbal product for the person, trying to consider other aspects as well: for example, if an overweight customer asks for laxatives, constipation is very unlikely! The herbalist, therefore, will have to direct the person to a healthy and regular lifestyle, before proposing a herbal product to lose weight.