The fiber in plant foods forms a gelatinous mass in the intestine (soluble fiber) or traps water and gives volume to the stool (insoluble fiber). Both facilitate evacuation and Its inclusion in the diet is essential. Without a doubt, fiber is an essential element when it comes to alleviating the causes of constipation, but it is not the only one and there are many foods that can help us go to the bathroom thanks to other factors.

If fiber, mainly vegetable, is so useful it is because, although it has no apparent nutritional value, stimulates intestinal transit on its way through the digestive tract until it is completely eliminated in the feces.

Apart from foods with fiber (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts), there are other effective foods against constipation thanks to the fact that they contain substances, in some cases still to be investigated, that exert a moderate laxative effect. Among these most recommended foods are plums (fruit or dried), figs, kiwis or grapes.

In this video we highlight some of the foods that you should not eat if you suffer from constipation, since there are some fruits contraindicated for constipation:

The foods richest in fiber

We can find a large amount of fiber in all types of natural foods:

• Legumes. Lentils, chickpeas, white beans.
• Vegetables. Leek, celery, thistle, asparagus, borage, cauliflower, potato, sweet potato, green bean, fresh pea, pumpkin, zucchini, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, tomato.
• salad leaves. Endive, lettuce, spinach, watercress, chard, artichoke (raw hearts), endive, chicory.
• Cereals. Whole wheat, rye or flaxseed bread.
• Fruit. Kiwi, plum (fresh or dried), fig, grape (or raisin), orange, peach, peach apricots, pippin apple or another type of sour apple.
• Seeds. Almond, walnut, pistachio, pine nut, flax seeds.
• algae. Hiziki, kombu, wakame, nori, agar-agar…
• Fermented and probiotics. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut.

A menu to combat constipation

We can combine these foods throughout the day to promote intestinal transit with each meal and avoid constipation. An example of a menu would be:

1. Breakfast: Apple, orange or seasonal fruit. Almond milk or tiger nut horchata. Bread with jam.
2. Meal: Salad with sauerkraut. Brown rice with vegetables and seaweed. Almond meatballs. Apples or sweet seasonal fruit.
3. Dinner: Chard with potatoes, raisins, pine nuts. Agar-agar flan, with almond milk.

Benefits of consuming whole grains

Several observational studies have shown that a low-fiber diet is associated with a greater frequency of constipation; On the contrary, the high fiber diets They increase the volume of stools and accelerate intestinal transit. One of the best diets in this sense is vegetarian..

The fiber supplements of 25-30 g/day They have long been recommended in patients suffering from constipation. This measure is more effective in people who follow low-fiber diets as long as they do not lack movement in the colon or suffer from alterations in the pelvic floor.

When using high-fiber foods to gain mass, the typical recommendation is to take half a cup of whole grain cerealand increase the dose to one and a half cups after several weeks. Whole corn is more effective than whole wheat, while whole oats are less irritating and absorb fat better.

For best results, a sufficient amount of liquid must be ingested next to the cereal.

On the other hand, rather than taking wheat bran, whole wheat bread made with sourdough is recommended. This facilitates intestinal transit, while does not prevent the absorption of calcium and iron produced by the phytates in the bran, since fermentation with said yeast transforms these phytates.

Foods for good intestinal transit

Take note of these 10 remedies for constipation that you will find in your pantry: