Best Natural Remedy for Constipation

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A few weeks ago when I had constipation, I used magnesium by doing an Epsom salt foot soak. Within 5 minutes of taking my feet out of the foot bath with Epsom salts, my constipation problem was gone.

A lot of times doctors recommend having prune juice to help with constipation, but this can actually make constipation worse! On the other hand, magnesium is an easy way to end any constipation. It really is the best natural remedy for constipation. Magnesium is great because there are no side effects either, like cramping you can get from over the counter medicine.

Magnesium, the best natural remedy for constipation!

Magnesium naturally relaxes your muscles in your whole body, including the muscles of the intestines. This helps relieve tension and relax the muscles that can cause constipation. Magnesium also has properties similar to laxatives because it draws water into your stool which helps make them softer.

When you don’t get enough magnesium, this can actually cause constipation. Most of us don’t get enough magnesium too! It’s estimated that nearly 80% of the US population is deficient in this essential mineral. One of the reasons many of us are deficient is because stress and anxiety depletes magnesium levels in the body.

Why Magnesium Works:

Magnesium is often called the “relaxation mineral” because it relaxes the muscles in your body. It is an essential mineral that is used for many enzyme reactions and functions in your body, from muscles to your brain.

Magnesium helps relieve constipation and allows you to easily have a bowel movement. When you take this mineral it increases the amount of water in your intestines to produce a laxative like effect. The increased water softens the stool and relaxes the muscles in the intestinal walls to make the stool softer and easier to pass. This is why it is so effective as a natural remedy for constipation.

Many studies have shown that magnesium is very successful for relieving constipation. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that constipation was associated with a low level of magnesium.

In another study, magnesium was found to be more effective for treating constipation than a commercial laxative.

*For optimal health, it is recommended that you have a bowel movement every day. Using magnesium regularly can help regulate your bowel movements and help prevent constipation.

Why constipation is bad for you:

Not only is it uncomfortable to be constipated, but it can also negatively affect your health too!

Constipation can cause stress on the body. Also, when the bowels aren’t moving, components from the waste that sits in your intestines can be absorbed back into your bloodstream. Hormones such as estrogen and environmental toxins can be reabsorbed back into your body when you’re constipated and the stool is not moving out of the body. This can lead to hormone imbalances, skin conditions, such as acne, decreased immune system, and digestive issues among other health conditions.

This is why it is important to make sure you have regular bowel movements and treat the constipation.

How to Use this Natural Remedy for Constipation:

There are 3 different ways you can use magnesium to treat constipation. I’ve used all of them, and I think they work equally well. Except, the magnesium flakes, which always seems to work the fastest for me! For that reason, the magnesium flakes are usually my first go to natural remedy for constipation.

1. Use Epsom Salts- When you add Epsom salt to either your bath or a foot bath, your body absorbs the magnesium transdermally through your skin. I add about 1 cup of Epsom salt to my bath and soak for at least 45minutes or 1/4cup to a foot bath and soak for 30-45minutes.
2. Take a Magnesium Supplement- Most recommend taking a magnesium supplement with 200-250mg. This can provide relief within several hours or the next day.
3. Use Magnesium Flakes- Magnesium flakes are similar to Epsom salts; however, they are a different form of magnesium. Magnesium flakes are magnesium chloride and Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. Magnesium flakes are known for being more highly absorbed by the body compared to Epsom salt.

This is my favorite natural remedy for constipation, especially if you’re hoping to get results fast. For me, sometimes it even works while I still have my feet in the foot bath and have to get up to go to the bathroom.

To use magnesium flakes, I add about 1 cup to my bath and soak for 45minutes or 1/4cup to a foot bath and soak my feet for about 30-45minutes. You can do this as often as you need. I typically do it once a night.

*To prevent constipation, you can also try to increase magnesium in your diet by adding some magnesium rich foods. Foods that contain a higher amount of magnesium are leafy green vegetables, nuts, and seeds, such as pumpkin seeds.

What kind of magnesium supplement should You Use?

When you get a magnesium supplement, make sure it’s purely magnesium and doesn’t contain calcium too. Calcium can cause constipation.

Most recommend magnesium citrate because it has been found to be better absorbed by the body. However, both magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide can be used to treat constipation because they both increase the water in your stool to make it softer and easier to pass.

How often should you use Magnesium?

I take a magnesium supplement daily and do a bath with Epsom salts or magnesium flakes once a week to prevent constipation. Many studies have found that supplementing with magnesium 200-250mg daily can effectively increase your magnesium level and prevent constipation.