Many people suffer from it, and more often than not they turn to laxative drugs to solve the problem — drugs that frequently lead to dependency. Yet a sluggish bowel can often be corrected with natural remedies and simple measures that are capable of restoring its proper activity.
Let us take things step by step. First of all, by answering honestly the question: "Do I drink enough?" If we do not take in enough fluids, the body becomes dehydrated, and so do the stools, which consequently lose volume and are passed with difficulty. In many cases, a few extra glasses of water is enough to solve the problem.
Things also improve considerably by increasing the amount of fibre-rich foods in the daily diet. This does not mean taking bran, which can in fact irritate the bowel, but eating fruit, vegetables and wholegrains.
Physical activity also affects bowel function. In short, a healthy lifestyle is very often sufficient to eliminate constipation.

Remedies from the kitchen

If all of this is not enough, before resigning yourself to a trip to the pharmacy you can try some traditional remedies, often found right in the kitchen. At breakfast, a kiwi eaten as the first food of the day, or a baked apple flavoured with a little cinnamon, or four dried figs or four dried prunes left to soften in half a glass of water for a few hours (the water can then be drunk as well) are all excellent remedies.

A helping hand from herbs

Also useful for increasing the bulk of stools and making them easier to pass (an important effect for those who also suffer from haemorrhoids) are mucilages — substances that, when they come into contact with water, form a sort of gel. They are found in marshmallow and mallow, plants that can be used to prepare a herbal tea to drink morning and evening (one tablespoon in a cup of boiling water, steeped for five minutes), and in flax seeds and psyllium seeds, which should be left to soak in water (one tablespoon of seeds in a cup) overnight, so that the gel that forms can be drunk in the morning.

A few words of caution

Be aware, however, that constipation is a symptom and may be the body's way of warning us that something is not working as it should: if the problem is persistent, if it is accompanied by other complaints (such as nausea or vomiting, for example), or if it appears suddenly without any change in daily habits, a visit to your GP is necessary.

If your doctor confirms that there are no underlying conditions causing it, you can try to resolve the constipation using the methods listed here. Among natural remedies there are some more "aggressive" options that may deliver immediate results but can irritate the bowel or cause dependency: it is best to keep these as a last resort, for the most stubborn cases, and in any event to avoid using them during pregnancy. Even though they are natural remedies, this does not mean they are free from contraindications.