Constipation Remedy

In general physicians are inclined to label condition constipation when there is passage of unduly hard and dry material. The consistency of the material is more important than the frequency of the action. The motions of the intestinal tract vary with different people not a good constipation remedy.

The stomach empties in from two to seven hours. The time required for digestion in the small intestine is less - usually two to four hours. The residue enters the cecum, the first portion of the large bowel, in a liquid state. In the large bowel fluid is removed so that the material becomes more solid as it moves forward.

When the mass reaches the sigmoid and rectum a nervous stimulus inclining toward emptying reaches the tissues. From one to three days is the usual time for passage through the large bowel but even four or five days may be required. When the material from the bowel is watery and unformed the condition is called diarrhea. When there is an excessive amount of gas, the diet and speed of movement of the material through the colon may be responsible. Now let's move on to the proven constipation remedy.

An effective constipation remedy is including adequate amounts of laxative foods in the diet. Oatmeal for breakfast or the use of whole wheat, spinach, prunes, figs, vegetables and fruits, honey and syrup are helpful. In the most severe cases the use of various oils, enemas, laxatives or yeast may be tried as recommended by the physician. These could be considered a natural cure or constipation remedy.

Sir Arthur Hurst, one of the leading British authorities on gastro-intestinal diseases, divides most cases of constipation into two varieties. In the first the colon or large bowel is at fault and in the second the condition is related to the lower portion of the bowel, including the sigmoid and rectum.

Delay in passage of material through the colon may be due to deficient motor activity or to the fact that the nature of the material to be removed requires excessive force. When the food contains too little indigestible residue and when insufficient quantity of material is formed on an adequate diet, it is difficult for the muscles and nervous system of the bowel to act efficiently.

In the second type of constipation the proper nerve-muscle relationships fail to occur in the lower portion of the bowel. The baby can be trained so that the simple act of exposure and placing it on the pt will cause it to evacuate. In either case, the constipation remedy mentioned above is effective.