Admittedly, juicing for constipation won’t be the most glamorous subject you’ll read about today, but it became something I needed to look into.

I have no idea why, but my girl becomes constipated on the days leading into her period. The discomfort is bad enough that she regularly takes laxatives - something I’m not enthusiastic about, hence my research into a natural constipation cure.

There seems to be a few useful avenues to take, so I’ll start with the most obvious ones…

Water

Dehydration is a significant factor in constipation. Making sure you drink enough water will go a long way.

Fiber

Fresh fruits and vegetables are all high in fiber. Cabbage, carrot, apple, celery and dark leafy greens are particularly good sources.

Blending’s Better Than Juicing

The main difference between juicing and blending is the fiber - it’s preserved while blending, and discarded while juicing.

Nutrients

Sorbitol

Sorbitol is a slow dissolving, natural sugar. Because it digests slowly, it sits in the small intestine and draws water from the bloodstream and into the stool^[1]. This helps it to slide out easier.

Prunes are a good source of Sorbitol, and a recognized safe, natural laxative^[2]. Another great source are Pears.

Serotonin

The very same neurotransmitter linked with happiness. It is naturally sourced through bananas and tomatoes, but does not cross the blood-brain barrier. Instead it goes to the digestive tract, where it helps regulate gut nerve transmissions^{[1, 3]}.

Pectin

Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber, which makes it different to the insoluble dietary fiber you’re used to seeing advertised. It increases the stool volume and ‘stickiness’, making it easier to pass.

Apples, pears, apricots, and especially citrus peels are high in Pectin^[4].

No juicer? Check out our guide, which will help you pick the right one for your needs.

Psyllium Husks

Similar to Prunes, Psyllium Husks are another safe, natural laxative.^{[5, 6, 7]} Sourced as supplementation, it’s effective in both capsule and powder form, which can be added to your smoothie / juice.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus

Lactobacillus Acidophilus supplementation can help people suffering from constipation or other digestive problems by ‘topping up’ healthy gut bacteria, which could be lacking for a variety of reasons.

Juicing for Constipation

Consider a Juice Fast. Juice fasting will give your gut a well deserved rest for a while, and a combined blending fast will ease the burden whilst providing fiber.

Basically any green juice is beneficial. The ‘Joe Rogan Kale Shake’ is a good juicing recipe for constipation (as well as for overall health):

Joe Rogan uses this Vitamix blender in the video (reviewed here), which I recommend to liquefy the hard fibers of the shake.

1 Pear (substitute with 1 Apple if you want it to taste sweeter)
4 large Kale leaves
4 sticks Celery
1/2 Cucumber
1 thumb Ginger
1 Banana (not part of the shake, but good for the Serotonin)
A few Prunes (again, not part of the shake, but good for the Sorbitol)

Not only is this this an ideal juicing recipe for constipation, it’s also a great breakfast shake which gives you ‘5 a day’ before the day even begins.

Read Next: Juice to Cleanse Your Liver

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References

[1] http://juicingtherainbow.com/category/disease/constipation/

[2] http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20014091091814

[3] http://voices.yahoo.com/the-good-mood-food-myth-bananas-serotonin-10476621.html?cat=72

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin

[5] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2036.1995.tb00433.x/abstract

[6] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2036.1998.00336.x/abstract

[7] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04594.x/full

Photo credit: zebble / Foter / CC BY-NC