Herbs for Constipation

Herbs for Constipation

Aloe, buckthorn, frangula, rhubarb, senna - these are the common herbs for constipation. Aloe is actually the most commonly used laxative in the world - but the form of aloe used in laxatives is a bitter extracted from the sap, not the whole leaf or the juice.

While herbs can be extremely effective, there are a few basic requirements for their successful use.

Herbs encourage bowel movement by inhibiting the smooth muscles that retain stool and stimulating the smooth muscles that push stool through the intestine. Herbs won't work unless the sennosides in the herb are transformed into rheinanthrones by beneficial bacteria in the colon.

Herbs also won't work unless they've been properly aged. That is, if you happened to have a laxative herb in your garden, you couldn't take it to relieve symptoms.

The aging process usually takes 1 to 7 years. If you take an herb before it's properly prepared, its effects may be purgative rather than laxative. That is, herbs fresh from your garden can cause uncontrollable diarrhea, cramping, and extreme discomfort.

If you are using a properly aged herb and you still experience cramping, you've taken too much. Don't take senna or any other herbal stimulant laxative if you take Lasix (furosemide); the combination can lead to potassium depletion. Herbal stimulant laxatives are not known to be safe during pregnancy, although no complications have ever been reported.