If you or someone in your family is experiencing constipation, you’re not alone.

Most of us will have trouble with this common affliction at some point in our lives.

Thankfully, there are natural ways to get things moving.

What Is Constipation?

Constipation is usually defined as a change in the frequency of bowel movements—the “normal” range is three times a day to three times a week.

Constipation can be acute or chronic, and is characterized by a host of uncomfortable symptoms:

• passing hard stools
• feeling bloated or full
• nausea
• abdominal pain
• strained bowel movements

What Causes Constipation?

These can all lead to bathroom trouble:

• dehydration
• lack of exercise
• illness or chronic disease
• high stress levels
• lack of dietary fiber

The Importance of Fiber

The most common cause of constipation is a low-fiber diet.

Fiber adds bulk to stool, making it easier to move along the digestive tract.

Americans typically fall short of the recommended daily fiber intake (25 g for women, and 38 g for men).

Consuming more high-fiber foods can relieve and even prevent constipation.

What Can You Do about Constipation?

It’s easy to boost your fiber intake by incorporating more vegetables, fruit (especially dried fruit), whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds into your diet.

You can meet your daily fiber needs with 2 cups of fruit and [q:2 1/2] cups of vegetables per day.

Small changes can make a big difference. Easy ways to boost fiber intake for the whole family include:

• adding oats to baked goods
• adding fruit to cereal
• using veggies in stews or casseroles

Tips for Kids with Constipation

Constipation can be painful and stressful for children, but it is surprisingly common, affecting up to 30 percent of kids. Here are some ways to keep things running smoothly:

• Keep kids hydrated. Water is best, and it helps to soften stools.
• Boost fiber intake with whole grains, vegetables, and fruit.
• Warm foods at breakfast can stimulate digestion.
• Make movement a priority—kids should engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day to encourage healthy digestion.

Acid reflux, heartburn, and indigestion are all pretty much the same problem. What is really happening?

When you think about it, what happens when you eat? Here’s what takes place. You eat a meal. Then your body goes into action. You may not feel this, but after you eat the muscles surrounding your stomach do two things. They squeeze the stomach to force the secretion of digestion enzymes. They also agitate your stomach to enhance the disintegration, or breaking down, of the food to incredibly small particles for assimilation by the cells.

Your stomach is fundamentally a bag that can withstand hydrochloric acid, whereas other parts of your body, such as your esophagus, cannot. It becomes irritated when it comes in contact with digestive acids. They could actually eat a hole through it.

Your stomach has an opening at both ends and, when the agitation takes place, both ends are supposed to be securely closed. More often than not, the bottom sphincter is always closed until it is time for nutrients and the chime to migrate into your intestinal tract. However, the top valve (the top of the bag) should also close so that in the agitation process there is no blowback up into the esophagus.

There are a few health food companies that make products to alleviate the indigestion of heartburn almost immediately. Some of the ingredients, like slippery elm and marshmallow, not only soothe the irritation of the esophagus, but will also help the healing of it.

The truth of the matter is that the body is the healer if you give the body what it requires. A quick liquid approach, which is also good for hiatal hernias, is aloe vera gel after meals.

Nutrients and Herbs for Acid Reflux

The following will assist the body in alleviating heartburn and speed healing of the esophagus:

• Slippery Elm Bark
• Marshmallow Root
• Okra
• Complete Multi-Mineral

Slippery elm bark and marshmallow root are both known for their soothing effect on membranes.

Symbology of Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is associated with indigestion. The same symbology applies; there is something occurring that is difficult to digest. It is upsetting, irritating, it eats at you. What is it? Always question, what is going on, what is hard for me to accept?

If this is a longstanding problem, think back to when it began. That will help you gain some insights and areas to examine.

Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts that speed the completion of natural chemical processes in the body. Our bodies produce enzymes, and we also obtain them from raw foods.

After age 40, our ability to produce enzymes decreases by 20 to 30 percent. The presence of enzymes in the saliva of young adults is as much as 30 times higher than in people over age 69. Because enzymes in food are destroyed by heat, cooked and processed foods can’t help us make up the difference, and this can lead to an enzyme deficiency.

Some scientists believe that we could live longer and be healthier by preventing the loss of enzymes. This is where enzyme supplements come in.

Digestive Support

The most familiar enzymes are sold for digestive support. Historically, pancreatic enzymes from pigs and cattle have addressed pancreatic insufficiency, while plant-based enzymes such as bromelain from pineapple break down proteins.

Other widely used enzymes include papain from papaya and rutin, derived from the plant Sophora japonica. Taking plant-based enzymes 40 minutes before meals can help with heartburn, according to Jacob Teitelbaum, MD.

The common enzymes that can help digest food (and prevent heartburn) are amylase (which helps digest carbs), cellulase (which helps digest the fiber in fruits and veggies), and lipases (which help digest fattier foods).

Some research has shown that digestive enzymes help prevent undigested food particles from entering the blood-stream, and a 2005 study published in Clinical Immunology demonstrated the efficacy of bromelain as a treatment for colitis.

Enzyme Therapy

Enzyme supplements can be taken to improve other conditions, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases, or to speed the healing of trauma injuries.

This approach, called systemic oral enzyme therapy, involves taking enteric-coated digestive enzymes between meals. The enteric coating prevents enzymes from interacting with stomach acid, so they reach the small intestine before breaking down.

The medical journal Arthritis recently reported that a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated adults with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee who received an enteric-coated enzyme product, the NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) diclofenac, or a placebo. The enzyme combination performed as well as diclofenac while producing fewer side effects and reducing reliance on analgesic medication. Both out-performed the placebo.

Bromelain may have anti-platelet activity so it’s not recommended for those taking blood thinners, and it’s also not recommended for children with cystic fibrosis.

In addition to fresh air, exercise, skin brushing to stimulate lymph circulation, sunshine, and water (drinking, bathing, steams, and saunas), healthy fasting includes digestive cleanses and fresh juices.

The two key times for natural cleansing are the times of transition into spring and autumn.

Dr. Gittleman has created a comprehensive program of internal cleansing, outlined in her book The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet, that begins with organic foods, features a day of juice fasting, and transitions back to organic food.

“What’s the point of getting all those toxins out of your system only to load yourself up again every time you sit down to dinner? All the detoxing in the world won’t keep up with the load of chemicals you’re consuming if you continue to eat conventionally farmed food,” she says.

Juice fasting, preferably with as much organic produce and pure water as possible, provides fiber and nutrients, while making it easy to transition to and from solid foods.

After fasting, Dr. Haas recommends raw or cooked low-starch (low-glycemic) vegetables, including a little sauerkraut to help stimulate digestive function.

“A laxative-type meal including grapes, cherries, or soaked or stewed prunes can also be used to initiate eating [solid foods once again], as they keep the bowels moving,” he says.

And consume friendly bacteria in fermented foods like yogurt with active and live cultures or take a quality probiotic product, adds Dr. Gittleman.

Dr. Hass recommends that fasting be done only under the care of an experienced physician, usually one who is a naturopathically trained MD, DO, ND, or DC. It’s not recommended for pregnant or lactating women and anyone planning surgery.

In addition, “people with cancer need to be careful about how they detoxify, and often they need regular, quality nourishment,” he adds.

“Some people go to extremes with fasting,” he warns, “and begin to lose essential nutrients. Excessive detoxification can be a concern; finding balance is the key for each of us.”

What you eat doesn’t just influence the look of your waistline; it also affects how your stomach feels.

“Digestive issues run the gamut from bloat, indigestion, upset stomach, and diarrhea. In fact, tens of millions of Americans suffer from these ailments,” points out San Francisco- and Portland-based nutritionist Rania Batayneh, MPH, owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Perhaps the worst part of gut distress? All too often you have only yourself to blame.“Eating too fast and not chewing thoroughly is a huge culprit in indigestion,” says Holly Lucille, ND, RN, a Los Angeles–based naturopathic doctor.

Digestion actually starts in your mouth. The chewing process and exposure to an enzyme in the mouth called amylase begins to break down food. Rushing this part, she says, sets many people up for digestive discomfort. In addition, she adds, chronic overeating taxes the digestive system and can overwhelm digestive juices. Fortunately, there are many natural solutions that can restore smooth running digestion. Our digestive experts share their three favorite gut-friendly herbs.

Natural Remedies for an Upset Stomach

Ginger

The tasty herb ginger can be very comforting to all sorts of unsettled tummies. Ginger is particularly adept at calming queasiness, whether it’s from motion sickness, pregnancy, or even the nausea that is common after surgery. Ginger can be taken as ginger tea, candied ginger chunks, or even dried in gingersnaps.

“I especially like a cup of lemon-flavored ginger tea with some honey for additional immune system benefits,” shares Batayneh.

Herbal supplements of ginger are also an option; aim for 500 milligrams (mg) in capsule (or the equivalent amount in food) every few hours, as needed.

Ginger has a strong safety record, however people with gallstones should avoid this herb.

Aloe Gel

Aloe gel is a one-stop shop for digestive healing. “This versatile herb encourages the healing and treatment of heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal cramps, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disorder,” lauds Batayneh. Aloe gel cleans the digestive tract by removing toxins and impurities, soothes the gut by relaxing the muscle lining of the intestines, prevents over acidity in the stomach, and reduces general inflammation, she explains.

Try drinking two ounces of aloe in juice form daily with a meal. (Note: Aloe in the latex form is a potent treatment for constipation. It should only be used for a few days at a time and avoided completely while pregnant or breastfeeding.)

Licorice (DGL)

Licorice (the herb, not the candy) protects the mucous membranes that line the digestive tract against the damaging effects of stomach acid. This effect is particularly helpful for those with heartburn. Licorice root extract in the form of deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is preferable since the glycyrrhizin component of licorice can cause high blood pressure.

“I love DGL because it actually increases the mucin, that protective lining in our gut, so it is great for decreasing stomach acid and healing ulcers,” Dr. Lucille says.

Moreover, it’s chewable and tastes great, so people find it easy and pleasant to use, she adds. Try 1 to 2 chewable DGL tablets (250-500 mg per tablet) 15 minutes before meals and another one an hour before bedtime.

Rx for Little Ones

Children seem to get more than their fair share of upset tummies. Since many kids have trouble swallowing pills, herbal teas are a great alternative.

Chamomile tea is a popular cure-all that relieves all manner of GI turmoil, including sour stomach, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramps. “This tea is even helpful for colic and irritability,” Batayneh adds. To make it more appealing you can sweeten it with honey (although not for babies less than 1 year old, since honey potentially contains a bacteria that can seriously sicken infants).

Fennel is another top pick for relieving heartburn and gas; it has a sweet, licorice like taste that many children enjoy.

Ginger, another tasty tea, settles the stomach and is great for nausea and diarrhea.

Ease Digestion with Bitters and Aromatics

Many digestive woes including indigestion, reduced enzymes and stomach acid, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and difficulty digesting certain foods like fat are remedied with classic bitter and aromatic digestive tonics.

Try bitter-tasting herbs like artichoke leaf, citrus peel, and dandelion as well as carminative spices including ginger and turmeric.

Classic “bitters” formulas incorporating a combination of these ingredients can be sipped just before or after a meal.

Although digestive enzyme supplements can help, herbs may be even more effective because they reinvigorate the body’s natural production of enzymes.

A spoonful of bitters or unpasteurized apple cider vinegar can help ease most cases of reflux and heartburn, more often caused by weak digestive function than too much acid.

Relax for Better Digestion

Stress puts our digestive system into lockdown. Sip calming digestive teas like chamomile or lemon balm for relief.

Tension in the structure of the GI tract can lead to spasms that aggravate pain, gas, and bloating. Peppermint, fennel, and anise act quickly and taste great.

Enteric-coated peppermint essential oil capsules deliver potent medicine right to the lower GI, while chewing fennel seeds works in a pinch. 

Heal your Digestive Tract with Nutrients and Herbs

Poor food choices and NSAID pain relievers gradually inflame and break down the lining of the GI tract, causing painful damage.

Dietary changes including increasing greens and vegetables, fiber, and water, eating smaller meals, and not eating for several hours before bedtime, can help.

Healing herbs can too. Try licorice (the DGL form avoids side effects and drug interactions), slippery elm, or marshmallow root to relieve symptoms.

In almost all cases, digestive herbs work better if you taste them. Opt for teas, liquid extracts, cordials and elixirs, powders, or adding herbs to food. You may notice immediate improvements, but give yourself two months for the effects to build.