Constipation: Can Diet Alone Help? While the most common form of
treatment, laxatives are not the best way to avoid or treat
constipation. Although laxatives will stimulate the colon and
help pass blocked stool, they may be habit forming and
debilitate your body to the point that it is no longer able to
have normal bowel movements on its own. While laxatives may be
useful in treating short term problems with constipation, they
are not effective when trying to avoid constipation.
Unfortunately, while proper diet and lifestyle can help prevent
problems, they cannot help avoid constipation altogether. While
not a miracle cure-all for, a diet high in fiber will definitely
help you to avoid constipation problems most of the time. Fiber
is excellent for healthy bowel movements because it basically
emerges from the digestion process unaffected. Therefore, it can
retain water which can be used to soften the stool and lessen
straining during bowel movements. Excessive straining during
bowel movements may lead to blood