A help against constipation
Every organism, including protozoa and people, eventually needs to expel waste. To put it another way, everyone poop! If your normal regimen includes less than three times a week, you probably aren’t feeling good.
Constipation can cause discomfort that can make you feel bloated, sluggish, and backed up, which can ruin your entire day. Fortunately, there are a few straightforward dietary approaches that can support realigning your gut and encourage good bowel movement, including several drinks that induce quick poop.
Struggling and straining to relieve yourself when your colon feels like it’s locked up and your rectum just won’t budge can lead to further uncomfortable health issues down the road, such as hemorrhoids and fissures.
A complex paradox, however, arises when other physiological responses from your body continue to convey a need for you to empty your bowels right away. Patience and reflection are not top priorities in a circumstance like this. You only care about convenient, rapid, and efficient relief. It’s time to summon some reviving resources and restart the process. But what are some instances of beverages that make you poop more quickly?
According to this article, a few dietitians suggest drinks that can aid when you really need to go to the bathroom. The following list of drinks is intended to help you poop all the way through.
1. Water
“The first line of defense to relieve acute or chronic constipation is adequate hydration with water”, says registered dietitian Melanie Marcus, MA, RD. “Just think about it, constipation is a result of digested food, getting stuck in your intestines! Sometimes it’s just a matter of staying well hydrated to keep everything moving through the gut”.
“Adults should aim for half of their body weight in ounces, or about 1.5–2 liters a day”, adds Marcus. “Mineral waters can further provide magnesium and sulfates, which are known for their laxative effects”.
2. Water with lemon
Citric acid, a type of vitamin C found in lemons and their juice, may have some laxative properties for some people without causing diarrhea, claims registered dietitian Caroline Thomason, RD, CDCES.
“When consumed, lemon juice pulls water into the GI tract, and this can stimulate the bowel emptying process”, says Thomason.
3. Chia Fresca
The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility author Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, claims that chia fresca, a concoction of chia seeds, water, and a few twists of lemon or lime, is another beverage that encourages the easy transit of your stool. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the insoluble fiber in chia seeds contributes to the softening of your stool in ways that are thought to have a laxative impact.
4. Coffee
“Coffee may be best known for its caffeine content, but drinking coffee can also trigger the digestive system to work, causing things to ‘get moving’ naturally”, says Manaker.
While many people might assume that coffee’s propensity to activate your bowels is primarily due to its caffeine component. However, even decaffeinated coffee, according to registered dietitian Kim Kulp, RDN, owner of the Gut Health Connection, can help you poop.
“Even without caffeine, coffee stimulates the gastrocolic reflex”, explains Kulp. “[This] is when the stomach tells the colon to make room for what’s coming by contracting to make you poop”.
5. Fresh fruit juice
“Juices like pear, apple, and apricot can provide constipation relief”, says Ashley Kitchens, MPH, RDN, plant-based registered dietitian and owner of Plant Centered Nutrition. “Apple juice has a fairly high ratio of fructose to glucose and sorbitol content, which may help gently relieve constipation”.
6. Prune juice
“Prune juice naturally contains sorbitol, a natural laxative that can cause people to feel gassy, as well”, says Manaker. “Drinking prune juice has been linked to better digestive outcomes”.
One study that evaluated the effects of prune juice concluded that it was a natural and safe beverage to consume, especially in situations of persistent constipation.
These researchers discovered in a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology that “prune intake significantly decreased hard and lumpy stools while increasing normal stool and not increasing loose and watery stools. Prune intake also ameliorated subjective complaints of constipation and hard stools, without alteration of flatulence, diarrhea, loose stools, or urgent need for defecation”.
7. Aloe vera juice
“Aloe vera contains a large number of antioxidants and can help speed up intestinal motility, which may improve constipation”, Paulina Lee, MS, RD, LD, founder of Savvy Stummy, explained. “It’s also soothing to the gut and could decrease gut inflammation, thereby potentially supporting symptoms of bloating”.
“There is some research to suggest aloe vera acts as a laxative”, says Thomason. “Although, the FDA does not recognize this as a safe or effective method of stimulating a bowel movement”.
8. True teas with fresh ginger
Real teas, which comprise many black and green tea varieties, include thousands of bioactive substances such as amino acids, caffeine, lignins, proteins, xanthines, and flavonoids, making them a versatile and healthful beverage option. For instance, black and green tea tend to contain more caffeine than other types of tea, providing them a modest laxative impact that may stimulate the digestive tract.
