Everyone dreads the explosive horrors of diarrhoea, but the reverse — trouble pooping — can be just as unpleasant. “Constipation is often the butt of jokes, but for those who live with it, it’s far from funny,” Amy Burkhart, a physician and registered dietitian who specialises in gut health, says. Think: “constant discomfort, bloating, pain, and nausea that wears on both body and mind”—since “it can chip away at your confidence and happiness” over time. Not only do you not feel well “when you’re carrying all this extra in your belly” (poop, of course), Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health, says, but chronic constipation can hurt your overall health in the long term. In fact, it’s been associated with increased risk for a number of conditions, including cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. For many people, basic changes like incorporating the best foods for constipation “can make a big difference,” Dr. Burkhart says. So how exactly should you switch up your diet to ward off your symptoms (or prevent them from developing in the first place)? Read on to discover nine of the best doctor-recommended constipation-fighting foods out there.
Why do these foods aid in, ahem, clearing out the pipes?
Most of these foods have one thing in common: their robust fibre content, which helps in a few ways, according to Dr. Burkhart.
For one, fibre “adds bulk to the stool, softens it, and makes it easier to pass,” she says. But on top of that, it also feeds the good bacteria in your gut. When these bacteria break down that fibre, “they produce short-chain fatty acids that reduce inflammation and help your gut work more efficiently,” she says. Between these two processes, fibre basically “enhances your gut motility so you poop,” Dr. Ganjhu says.
Of all foods, fruits and vegetables tend to be particularly rich in fibre, so you’ll see plenty of those represented in our list. What’s more, they also tend to be packed with water — another feature that “helps move things along,” according to Dr. Burkhart (in this case, by softening all that waste and making it easier to squeeze out).
Here are some foods that can help fight constipation, in no particular order.
1. Legumes
Beans in particular are an excellent source of fibre, according to Dr. Burkhart. Black beans and pinto beans, for example, pack around eight grams of fibre per half-cup each. Meanwhile, that same amount of chickpeas clocks in at over six grams.
2. Chia seeds
The definition of small but mighty, these tiny little seeds will introduce an impressive fibre punch into any salad, smoothie, breakfast bowl, or chia pudding — to the tune of around four grams per tablespoon, to be specific.
3. Raspberries
Generally speaking, berries are fibre-rich for their size, but raspberries shoot right to the top of the list at eight grams per cup. If you want or need an alternative, blackberries aren’t far behind.
4. Prunes
Famous for their Drano-like ability to clear out the pipes, prunes are commonly invoked in the constipation conversation — and their reputation is well-deserved, according to Dr. Ganjhu. In addition to their fibre content (three grams per quarter-cup), they’re also high in a second compound “that helps you go as well,” Dr. Ganjhu says: a particular type of sugar alcohol known as sorbitol. Your digestive system has trouble breaking down sorbitol molecules, so when they reach the colon, your body naturally rushes to expel them — a reaction that can result in a bowel movement. Thanks in large part to this combo, prunes are awash in poop-promoting nutrients, distinguishing them as a uniquely powerful natural constipation remedy.
5. Avocados
While prunes may not be everyone’s cup of tea, avocados have a mild taste and distinctively creamy texture that makes them hard to dislike — especially since they also carry major nutritional benefits, like 10 grams of fibre per cup (or 14 per fruit). (And despite their popularity in salads and guacamole, they can lend themselves to plenty of other dishes too!)
6. Apples
If you’re clogged up, the old adage “an apple a day…” can offer some helpful advice. Like prunes, apples are abundant in both fibre and sorbitol, priming them to treat those pesky backlogs — and also like prunes, they even come in juice form if you don’t feel like eating whole fruit. That said, it’s really best to enjoy your apples (and prunes) whole if possible: Juices lack fibre due to the nature of the juicing process. For an even more powerful punch, keep the skin on: One medium-size apple contains around five grams of fibre that way.
7. Pears
The fibre-sorbitol dream team strikes again: Pears are also an especially potent source of the duo. Fibre-wise, they’re even superior to apples, at around six grams per medium-size fruit.
8. Whole grains
You probably think of bread as heavy on carbs and, well, light on everything else, but that’s not necessarily true when it comes to the whole-grain stuff. Just one slice of 100% whole-wheat bread delivers a respectable three grams of fibre, for example, so these kinds of products can be “very helpful” for constipation, too, Dr. Ganjhu says. Try to choose the least processed option possible, according to Dr. Ganjhu. Look out for items billed as “100% whole-wheat” and “whole-grain” specifically — and be wary of potentially deceptive terms like “wheat” or “multigrain.” Finally, keep in mind that add-ins like nuts and seeds will also bestow an extra fibre boost.
9. Fermented foods
Fibre may be important for treating constipation, but it’s not necessarily the be-all and end-all. Fermented foods and beverages like kefir, kimchi, yogurt, buttermilk, sauerkraut, and kombucha can also come in handy because they’re rich in probiotics, the gut bacteria we mentioned above. Basically, they introduce new ones into your gut, balancing the overall microbiome (and thus boosting your digestive health). Because of this, they’re excellent for constipation across the board even though some types may not be high in fibre.
Here’s how to eat these constipation-fighting foods for the biggest bang for your buck.
“The key is to start slowly,” Dr. Burkhart says. Loading up on fibre all at once can cause GI issues if your body’s not used to it, so taking a gradual approach “helps minimise [side effects like] gas and bloating as your fibre intake goes up.”
