Constipation is a common problem often related to our eating habits. Adding more fruits and vegetables in our diet helps relieve constipation naturally. There are many fruits that can help with your constipation. The list is endless. To make it easy for you, we have compiled the top 10 healthy fruits that can help relieve constipation.
1. Pears
Pears are a versatile fruit that can be eaten raw, grilled, or made into desserts. They are delicious fruits that contain plenty of dietary fiber and vitamins. They are cheap and readily available in all seasons.
Dietary fiber found mainly in fruits and vegetables is best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. It increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A soft bulky stool is easier to pass. An average-sized pear (180 g) has approximately 6 g of fiber, half of this fiber is found in the skin. So, you should eat pears with their skin to get maximum benefits.
2. Bananas
Bananas are famous for their taste, consistency, and nutrition value. They are easily digestible, therefore, good for babies and toddlers. They contain excellent amounts of fiber, potassium, and vitamins. An average-sized banana contains 3 g of fiber, which is 10 % of your daily requirement.
Adding bananas in your diet will help relieve constipation. It is recommended to eat well ripe bananas because unripe banana can make constipation worse.
Read more about banana and constipation.
3. Prunes
Prunes are dried plums. They are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Eating 100 g of prunes gives you 7 g of fiber, which is about a quarter of your daily need.
In addition to the high fiber content, prunes have large amounts of sorbitol, a naturally occurring sugar. Sorbitol has laxative properties. It absorbs water and acts as an osmotic laxative.
You can find prunes as semi-dried in packets or tinned in juice or syrup. Prune juice is less effective than whole prunes as the fiber is removed in the juicing process.
It is advised to eat around 30 grams, or three to four prunes, a day. Eating too much is not recommended due to its high sugar content. In addition, eating excess amounts of prunes can cause diarrhea.
4. Apples
Apples contain several compounds that improve digestion, including fiber, sorbitol, and fructose. They also contain high levels of water, which can help to improve digestion and prevent constipation. Apples contain a type of fiber called pectin. It helps soften the stools and relieve constipation.
An average size apple contains about 3 g of dietary fiber. In addition, apples are rich in vitamins and minerals that help keep you healthy.
Furthermore, the soluble fiber found in apples helps lower the cholesterol levels in the blood. To get the most benefit from apples, eat them raw and whole, with the skin intact.
Related: Is apple juice good for constipation?
5. Avocados
Avocados are unique among fruits. Unlike other fruits, avocadoes contain large amounts of good fat that helps reduce your cholesterol levels. Many people love avocados for their cholesterol-lowering effects.
Avocados are a good source of dietary fiber. A medium-sized avocado (200g) contains about 14 g of fiber. That is more than that of pears, apples, and bananas.
Make a sandwich with the creamy flesh of avocados for your breakfast. That is an easy remedy for your constipation.
6. Raspberries
Love the taste of raspberries? You have some good news. Raspberries are delicious fruits with excellent amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. They are good for regular bowel movements.
Eating 100 g of raspberries will give you 6 g of fiber. In addition, it will give you 32 mg of vitamin C.
Do you know that vitamin C has a laxative effect?
Adding raspberries in your diet help prevent constipation. In addition, antioxidants found in raspberries help the body eliminate toxic substances known as free radicals. The antioxidants keep your skin young and healthy.
7. Blackberries
Blackberries are native to Australia, Asia, Europe, and America. They are delicious eaten raw or added to tarts and other desserts. The fruit contains vitamins A, C and K, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and copper. In addition, blackberries contain significant amounts of dietary fiber.
The fiber in blackberries helps relieve constipation. In addition, they have a special type of sugar called Xylitol, which has laxative effects. Eating a cup of blackberries every day makes your bowel movements soft and easy.
Blackberries have fewer calories compared to other fruits. That makes them a super healthy food.
8. Oranges
Oranges are citrus species fruits native to China. They are round, segmented fruits with a pitted peel. The taste of orange can vary from juicy and sweet to bitter, depending on the variety.
Oranges help relieve constipation in three ways. Firstly, they contain significant quantities of fiber that is essential for soft stools. A medium-sized orange has 3 g of fiber.
Secondly, they contain a good amount of water. Eating fiber-rich foods without enough water is useless. It can make constipation worse. The water content of oranges makes it easy to get enough water.
Thirdly, oranges contain very high levels of vitamin C that has laxative properties. In addition, vitamin C helps keep your skin, bones and connective tissue healthy.
Vitamin C in oranges can help in wound healing, preventing infections, and help absorb iron from your food.
Oranges also contain minerals such as potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Potassium helps to regulate blood pressure, manganese regulates the functions of the brain and nerves, and magnesium involved in the regulation of muscle, heart and nerve function and keeping bones strong.
9. Apricots
These orange-colored fruits are a surprising natural remedy for chronic constipation. Doesn’t matter fresh or dried, they are a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber. In addition, they have excellent amounts of beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant.
Some studies suggest that the consumption of foods high in beta-carotene can lower the chance of getting bowel cancer.
Apricots are a very good source of vitamins A and C that are needed for the growth and repair of tissues in the body.
Apricots also contain minerals such as potassium which helps to regulate blood pressure, and manganese which helps in the regulation of the brain and nerve functions.
10. Blueberries
These little fruits are the queen of healthy foods. They give you many health benefits. Eating blueberries is an excellent way of relieving constipation. They contain plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber that helps regulate your bowel.
Blueberries are a good source of vitamins C and K and powerful antioxidants. They have the highest antioxidant capacity of many popular fruits and vegetables.
Flavonoid antioxidants in blueberries help keep your skin smooth and healthy.