Constipated? The surprising foods—and one drink

It’s hard to think of anything else when you’re constipated. And while you may have tried ramping up your fiber intake and drinking more water to help get things moving again, you may be wondering if there's anything else you can do to fix the situation.

Researchers in the UK have got your back. A new scientific analysis just dropped in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics that spells out specific guidance that can help people with constipation.

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While these findings recommend what to do if you’re dealing with chronic constipation, which is when you have symptoms of constipation for three months or longer, experts say they can help anyone who is struggling to poop. Here’s what the researchers discovered, plus how to put these ingredients to work for you—and your GI tract.

You may not have these items at your place right now.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 75 randomized control trials along with 59 dietary recommendation statements that focused on people with constipation. While the researchers discovered that the data wasn’t there to support widely-recommended approaches like following a generic high fiber diet, they identified certain foods and one drink that did seem to help.

For foods, that included eating kiwi and rye bread, as well as drinking “high mineral-containing water.” Though that assortment seems random, experts say it makes sense. Here's why.

Let’s start with kiwi, which is packed with features to get things moving in your gut. “Kiwis help alleviate constipation because they are great sources of soluble and insoluble fiber,” Jeremy Polman, DO, a gastroenterologist at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital, tells SELF. “Soluble fiber helps soften stool by absorbing water, and insoluble fiber adds bulk to help with colonic transit.”

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Foods to help with constipation!
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But kiwi also contains an enzyme called actinidin, which is helpful for combating constipation, Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy, tells SELF. “Actinidin appears to stimulate intestinal motility and improve gastric emptying,” he says. Basically, kiwi can help soften poop and make it easier to pass, while also encouraging your GI tract to move things alone.

In a perfect world, you’d eat your kiwi with the skin on, Sumona Bhattacharya, MD, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at GW Medical Faculty Associates, tells SELF. “I always recommend at least trying the kiwi fruit with the skin on. A significant amount of the fiber is in the skin,” she says. (If you’d rather eat a skinless kiwi, Dr. Bhattacharya still says you can get fiber and constipation help from your fruit.)

No matter how you like to eat them, “kiwis are great,” Rudolph Bedford, MD, gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, tells SELF.

Rye bread is rich in fermentable fibers that draw water into your poop to make it softer and easier to pass, Keatley explains. It also helps to feed your gut bacteria and create short-chain fatty acids like butyrate that stimulate bowel movements, he says. “Compared to wheat bread, rye bread leads to faster intestinal transit and softer stools,” Keatley says.

Mineral water, especially those that contain magnesium sulfate or bicarbonate, act as natural laxatives, Keatley says. “Magnesium draws water into the intestinal lumen, softening stools and triggering movement of the intestines,” he says. “These waters don’t require long-term use, but can be a gentle alternative to stimulant laxatives.”

There are a few times to consider using these.

Again, this research and guidance focuses on chronic constipation. “If constipation is chronic, incorporating these foods daily is worthwhile,” Keatley says.

But if you just have random constipation, like from traveling, changing up your diet, taking certain medication, or for reasons you can’t pinpoint, Keatley says these foods and drink can be first-line interventions you try for a few days to see if they get things moving again.

Dr. Polman says you can also just rotate these foods into your diet, regardless of whether you have a history of constipation “to help keep bowel movements regular and prevent constipation,” he says.

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But there are other hacks that can help you poop, too.

If you’ve tried kiwi, rye bread, and mineral water and aren’t seeing results, or if you’re just not into these foods, you still have options. The researchers also found that more commonly recommended hacks, like taking psyllium supplements (a form of dietary fiber), certain probiotic strains, and magnesium oxide supplements may help, too. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) recommends trying these steps:

Load up on high-fiber foods, with the goal of having 22 to 34 grams of fiber a day.

Drink plenty of water, especially if you’re eating more fiber or using a fiber supplement. (Keatley suggests aiming to have two to three liters.)

Move regularly.

Try bowel training, to encourage yourself to poop; at the same time each day.

Talk to your doctor if you suspect that a medication or supplement you’re taking is behind your constipation. (Calcium, iron, and certain antidepressants are common culprits.)

Take over-the-counter medicines like fiber supplements, stool softeners, lubricants, stimulants, or osmotic agents.

If you’re dealing with constipation, Dr. Bhattacharya suggests looking at how much fiber you’re taking in first. “Most Americans don’t eat enough fiber,” she says. “I tell patients to track their fiber intake in an app or write it down.” Then, see how close you are to the dietary guidelines. If your fiber intake is lacking, she suggests slowly incorporating more into your diet while also ramping up your water intake. (Not taking in enough water when you eat more fiber can actually stop you up more, Keatley points out.)

After that, Dr. Bhattacharya says laxatives may also help. But if this is a regular issue for you, Dr. Bhattacharya recommends talking to a healthcare professional for more. “Primary care and family medicine doctors are usually well-versed in dealing with run-of-the-mill constipation,” she says. If your healthcare provider has a concern after giving you an evaluation or if nothing else seems to be working, they may refer you to a gastroenterologist for more.

Ultimately, experts say there’s no reason not to try these foods and drinks to keep things moving. “These are natural and something we all should be doing—eating more fruits and vegetables, and having more water,” Dr. Bedford says. “It’s a natural approach without any chemicals.”

Original article appeared on SELF