Dietary Fiber for Constipation

Is food medicine? Sometimes, yes. It's becoming clear in recent years that dietary measures are highly effective in preventing or reversing some health problems, especially chronic constipation.
Constipation is a symptom, not a disease. If you want safe and effective long-term relief for chronic constipation, you don't need to look any further than your grocer's shelves. Hundreds of foods and plant-based fiber products are available to relieve constipation -- naturally.

What is fiber?

Dietary fiber refers to the edible parts of plants or carbohydrates that cannot be digested. Fiber is in all plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains,nuts, seeds, and legumes. You can also find a form of fiber called chitin in the shells of crustaceans such as crab, lobster, and shrimp.

Is all fiber the same?

No, some fibers are soluble in water and others are insoluble. Soluble fiber slows digestion and helps you absorb nutrients from food. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, helping the stool pass more quickly through the intestines.
Most plant foods contain some of each kind of fiber. Foods containing high levels of soluble fiber include dried beans, oats, oat bran, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, peas, and potatoes. Foods high in insoluble fiber include wheat bran, whole grains, cereals, seeds, and the skins of many fruits and vegetables.
Which type of fiber is best to ease constipation?
Go for whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas. Cereal fibers generally have cell walls that resist digestion and retain water within the cellular structures. Wheat bran can be highly effective as a natural laxative.

What other foods are high in fiber?

Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumessuch as beans and lentils. The fiber found in citrusfruits and legumes stimulate the growth of colonicflora, which increases the stool weight and the amount of bacteria in the stool. Encouraging the growth of certain bacteria in the colon may help promote a healthy intestine.