Best Teas For Constipation Relief
- 7 min read
For many individuals, digestion and constipation problems are a common encounter that they have to deal with almost every day. Its especially true if you have specific digestive conditions wherein symptoms, such as discomfort, tightening of the stomach or constipation, are already a part of your everyday life.
Constipation can be temporary or chronic and may be caused by various factors such as lack of fiber in your diet, dehydration from not drinking enough water, medication side effects, nervous system disorders like Parkinson’s disease, obesity, pregnancy-related hormones , blood sugar imbalances including diabetes mellitus type II and hypothyroidism.
Chronic constipation may also happen due to underlying diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome . If you are experiencing symptoms but they have been going on for more than four months then it could be time to see a medical professional if the condition persists.
Side Effects Of Herbal Teas
Some laxative ingredients in teas, such as senna, can cause side effects and increase the risk of additional issues, including diarrhea.
The active ingredients in teas can also interact with some medications.
Before taking a tea to relieve constipation, ask a doctor or pharmacist whether the ingredients will interact with any current medications.
Best Seeds For Constipation
There are a few different types of seeds that are thought to be particularly helpful in easing constipation.
- Chia seeds: These little seeds are a good source of dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Sprinkle them on salads or add them to smoothies.
- Fennel seeds: Chewing on fennel seeds is thought to help to ease gas and bloating, along with easing constipation.
- Flaxseed: These pleasant little nutty-flavored seeds need to be ground to benefit from their fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Can be used in baking or added to smoothies.
- Psyllium: There is a lot of research support for the use of psyllium as a way to ease constipation which earns it its designation as a bulk laxative.
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Black Tea Decaf Coffee Or Green Tea
Consuming caffeinated teas can also accelerate your bowel movements, as they also carry a laxative effect. Moreover, the natural presence of caffeine also quickens bowel movements in many individuals.
The majority of people drink their hot caffeinated beverages in the morning to really wake their bodies and boost a bowel movement. However, caffeine can counteract your body if your body is sensitive to it.
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The rich taste of gourmet-quality black tea melds deliciously with the sweet-savory notes of the apricot blend. More critically, the tea is loaded with fiber, beta carotene, and apricots to keep your eyes bright and your digestion in balance.
The maker recommends consuming DECAF APRICOT BLACK TEA chilled.
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Does Honey Make You Poop
When you look at honey, it seems really improbable. Is honey a natural laxative? Really? The answer is yes. This delicious golden substance is easy to use and many people are raving about how effective it is.
How is honey good for constipation:
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Honey is a mild laxative possibly due to its fructose content. The inability of the body to fully digest the fructose causes the body to produce a bowel movement to get rid of it.
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Though the mechanism by which honey relieves constipation isnt always clear, there are multiple studies that show that it does help to relieve constipation .
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Honey reduces inflammation which can help with pain-management during constipation although of course, the best way to relieve the pain is to have a bowel movement .
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Honey has prebiotic properties thanks to its oligosaccharide content. It feeds the good bacteria in your gut that help to keep you regular. In addition to eating fiber-rich foods, including honey in your diet regularly is a good way to achieve good gut health.
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Does Tea Make You Poop
Like many drinks that contain caffeine, tea has a reputation of being an herbal laxative that has been used for centuries to help relieve constipation. But does this mean that tea contains ingredients that make you poop?
Tea makes you poop because the caffeine it contains helps stimulate your intestine into contracting. This biological reaction causes you to feel the urge to use the bathroom. Tea can be used to help relieve constipation by gently encouraging you to have a bowel movement.
If you have a hard time pooping, increasing the amount of tea you drink can help you have an easier time using the toilet. Read on to learn more about how tea affects your ability to poop.
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Teas For Relieving Constipation
Many people like herbal teas for their soothing and relaxing properties. Some teas may help relieve constipation. Certain ingredients, including the herbs cascara and senna, have natural laxative properties. Herbal teas can be potent, though. You should limit how much herbal tea you drink and how often you drink it.
Constipation is characterized by infrequent bowel movements or difficulty having a bowel movement. It can be an uncomfortable condition. It may also leave you feeling bloated. The Mayo Clinic describes constipation as having fewer than three bowel movements per week. Because stools arent moving regularly, they tend to get dry and hard. This makes them more difficult to pass.
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Tea Keeps Your Pooping Habits Regular
Whether you go with traditional black and green tea or you choose an herbal tea that is specifically designed to help you poop, tea is a great choice for helping with occasional constipation or other digestive issues. Be sure to ingest tea regularly along with plenty of water on the side to give your digestive system all the active ingredients it needs to thrive.
Does Tea Make You Constipated
While tea is generally a natural laxative, some situations may occur where drinking tea can worsen constipation. Tea contains caffeine, which makes it a diuretic. This is a chemical that decreases hydration in the body by stimulating you to urinate.
If your body is already significantly dehydrated when you drink tea, the dehydrating effects of the caffeine can overwhelm the hydrating effects of the water in the tea.
To avoid additional constipation issues from tea, its a good idea to make sure that you drink plenty of plain, clear water along with any other beverages like tea you consume. This will help keep your digestive system operating in tip-top shape.
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Peppermint Tea Is A Good Tea For Constipation
Herbal Tea for constipation can offer support in varying ways depending on which variety you choose. Yet Peppermint Tea for constipation, specifically, is an excellent choice.
This plant is an aromatic, rhizomatous perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Interestingly, it is a natural hybrid of watermint and Spearmint Tea .
Most will know this infusion best by its refreshingly minty notes and its bold, delectable aftertaste. However, if youre hoping to enjoy the best Tea for constipation while youre at it, then youre in luck.
Peppermint Tea contains high levels of menthol, a chemical compound that has a soothing effect on the stomach while moving stool through the intestines.
How You Can Get Constipated From Drinking Tea
People conflict as to whether tea can cause constipation. Well, in this case, we will focus on real teas that come from the camellia sinensis plant. The other types are herbal teas. The reason the two are different is the presence of caffeine in real teas. This legal stimulant has many an effect on your digestive system.
For one, have you ever noticed that you pee more often after having tea or coffee? It owes to the diuretic effects of caffeine such that it fastens the digestive system and stimulating your colon. Note that not everyone will feel this way after having caffeine as it all comes down to your body.
Some people may not even feel the difference as they have built up a tolerance to this drug. Your sensitivity and metabolism rate play a considerable role in your response. Also, if you are already constipated, the caffeine may worsen the condition.
Let us look at how this drug works as a diuretic such that it affects not only your colon but also your kidneys. It works by stimulating the movement of liquid through the body, thus making it faster.
Your kidneys end up filtering more liquid, which they then excrete as urine. You end up urinating more often, and that means that less water gets to the colon. Water must reach the colon, which is a five-foot organ at the end of your gastrointestinal tract.
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Home Remedies To Relieve Constipation Naturally
Now let us take a glance at some of the best home remedies to relieve constipation as follows
Lemon & Honey
Honey is believed to be a beneficial home remedy to alleviate constipation. You can be either taken raw or added to milk, tea or water. The results are more beneficial when you add honey, with warm water along with a few drops of lemon juice. The enzymes in honey treat constipation and stabilize digestion.
Both lemon and honey are rich in antioxidants that help the body in healing processes some researchers believe that honey works as a natural laxative. You can replace salt with honey as it has magnesium which boosts the bowel muscles contraction and helps to flush out the toxin out of your body.
Yoga
Definitely, yoga will not be the first constipation remedy that pops on your mind, but studies prove that certain yoga postures are helpful to alleviate constipation. Spending a few minutes every day can benefit you in long term.
Half spinal twist, supine twist, Matsyasana twist, crescent twist, leg up the wall pose, wind-relieving pose and the bow pose are some yoga postures that help in boosting the digestion processes by increasing the blood and oxygen flow in your body.
Other than fitness and benefits yoga helps to lead a healthy life and it is an easy and effective home constipation remedy.
Senna
Water
If you are constipated, make yourself hydrated often.
Prunes
Fiber content foods
- Wheat Bran
- Psyllium
Physical activity
Milk & Ghee
Figs & Fennel seeds
Black Tea Or Green Tea
Caffeinated tea can also help you go, similar to how your morning coffee does.
Brewed black tea tends to be the tea highest in caffeine, with 47 milligrams of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup, per the Mayo Clinic. In comparison, brewed coffee has 96 milligrams of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup. Green tea is also caffeinated, but slightly less so, with 28 milligrams per 8-ounce cup.
“Caffeine serves as a stimulant for bowel contractions or motility,” Dr. Chey says. “That’s why a lot of people say that they move their bowels after having their cup of coffee or cup of tea in the morning.”
Because black tea is caffeinated, you’ll need to monitor your intake. However, you’ll also benefit from its flavonoids that fight inflammation and support healthy immune function, per Penn Medicine.
Black tea and green tea both come from the Camellia sinensis plant. For black tea, the leaves are dried and fermented, giving it a richer flavor and darker color, according to Penn Medicine.
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Constipation Relief Through Prevention
As a rule, eating more high-fibre foods can prevent constipation. Be aware though, that if constipation is a result of Colitis or Crohns disease, increasing fibre intake could have a detrimental effect if in doubt, speak to your GP before making any changes to your diet.
There are two different types of fibre soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre dissolves in the intestines to form a gel-like substance which helps food move along the digestive tract. Insoluble fibre is not dissolvable and moves through the intestines without being absorbed, and adds bulk to bowel movements and helps to relieve constipation.
Workouts Get You Going
Fact. Too much downtime makes constipation more likely. After you eat a big meal, wait at least an hour before you exercise so your body has time to digest your food. Then get going! Take a 10-to-15-minute walk several times a day. Harder workouts are also fine to do. Your whole body will benefit.
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What Is Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a traditional drink made by steeping fresh grated ginger in boiling water. There are various kinds of ginger tea made across the world. But in its simplest avatar ginger tea is nothing but a concoction of hot water and freshly grated or crushed ginger.
While ginger remains the key ingredient, various ingredients like lemon, oranges, sugar, palm sugar, milk, spices and herbs are also used in some versions.
Did you know that ginger is a close cousin of turmeric, galangal and cardamon? Ginger is more than a flavor enhancing culinary spice. It is a powerful antioxidant, and antifungal ingredient that enriches the body.
This aromatic spice with Southeast Asian roots was introduced in Europe around 800 AD. However, it has been featuring in Asian, Indian and African dishes and alternative and folk medicine for over 5000 years.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Every cell in your body needs water to function to its best ability. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will compensate by pulling water out of your intestines. This may result in hard stools that contribute to constipation.
Drink water throughout your day. You will know that you are drinking enough if your urine is clear.
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Ways To Use Honey For Constipation
Always use raw honey as the processed honey no longer has health benefits. Youll also find that some types of honey work better than others, for example, honeydew, alfalfa, sourwood, acacia, sage, eucalyptus, clover and chestnut are the best kinds of honey for constipation .
If its your child that has constipation, its important to note that your child can only be given honey if he or she is older than a year. Giving your baby honey for the age of one can make them really sick. For older children, honey is yummy and mild enough for little tummies.
How Not To Get Constipated By Tea
As you can see, this drink can work for or against you. That means that the decision to drink or quit it can be quite hard, more so for avid tea drinkers. Well, if you get rid of the caffeine, the chances of getting constipated owing to dehydration can reduce significantly.
That does not mean that taking tea will automatically dehydrate you. If anything, you can mitigate such effects by adding other fluids that are free of caffeine. For example, adding water to your diet goes a long way in hydrating your colon.
From what you can see, the only way tea will give you constipation is if you drink too much that you end up dehydrated. If you stick to the 400 mg of caffeine limit, you should be fine.
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Peppermint Tea For Digestive System
Drinking peppermint tea after meals can relieve you of constipation and give your stomach a break from heavy food. The next time that post-holiday tummy trouble comes around, drink up!
Drinking fresh or brewed peppermint tea is not only soothing on the digestive tract but also fulling for the appetite so it keeps those pounds off by preventing overeating. It is hot, soothing and filling for the gut. This tea can be drunk at any time of the day though it is best recommended to drink peppermint tea after a meal as it helps relieve one from constipation by providing relief to an overworked gastrointestinal system.
Peppermint has natural menthol qualities that are anti-inflammatory and relaxant which eases tension and discomfort in the stomach area resulting in better digestion overall.
Peppermint extract was found in studies done on rats with irritable bowel syndrome show significant reductions in symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea or bloating when treated with peppermint oil compared to control animals not receiving treatment. The beneficial properties also help reduce inflammation
Foods That Make Constipation Worse
According to Elisabetta Politi, MPH, RD, LDN, a dietitian clinician at the Duke University Diet & Fitness Center, foods with low fiber content can make constipation worse, which include:
Diets that are low in fiber don’t just cause or aggravate constipation, but can also result in appendicitis and hemorrhoids as well. It’s important to meet the daily recommended fiber intake to avoid the health risks that are associated with a low-fiber diet.
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