Foods with laxative effect

Foods with a laxative effect such as papaya, plum and pumpkin are rich in fiber and water and therefore help to loosen the intestine. These foods should be consumed daily, as they help to increase the volume of feces and facilitate intestinal transit.

Some examples of foods with a laxative effect are:

Fruits: papaya, fig, pear, apple, plum, kiwi; Vegetables: lettuce, arugula, watercress, kale, broccoli, eggplant and zucchini; Grains: oats, oat bran, wheat bran, corn, lentils, quinoa; Seeds: chia, flaxseed, sesame; Oilseeds: chestnuts, peanuts, almonds, walnuts; Drinks: coffee, red wine, a goblet after a meal, lemongrass tea and sacred cascara.

In addition to consuming some of these foods daily, you should also remember to drink 1.5 to 2.0 liters of water per day, as it will hydrate the fibers in the food and facilitate the passage of feces throughout the intestine. In addition, consuming plain yogurt at least 3 times a week also helps maintain good intestinal flora and fight constipation. See 3 recipes for homemade natural laxatives.

Laxative foods for baby

It is common for the baby's intestine to become constipated, and it is important to include foods such as:

Fruits: Papaya, orange, avocado, banana, grape, melon, fig, plum, watermelon, mango, pineapple; Vegetables: pumpkin, almond, tomato, cucumber, cabbage, spinach, sweet potato, green beans and leafy vegetables, Cereals: Brown bread, oats, brown rice, brown pasta and corn; Legumes: peas, lentils and beans.

Babies need less fiber than adults and should consume only small amounts of the foods listed above each day. In addition, babies over 1 year old can also consume natural yogurt, which contains microorganisms that improve intestinal flora and fight constipation. See 4 examples of homemade baby laxatives.

Amount of Fiber in Fruits

See the table below for a list of laxative fruits, classified according to the amount of water and fiber they have:

Fruit	Fiber amount per 100 g of fruit	Amount of Water per 100 g of fruit
Papaya	2.3 g	88.2 g
Fig	2.3 g	79.1 g
Wait	2.2 g	85.1 g
Apple	2.1 g	82.9 g
Plum	1.9 g	88.0 g
Kiwi	1.9 g	82.9 g
Orange	1.8 g	86.3 g
Grape	0.9 g	78.9 g

It is important to remember that the consumption of fiber must be accompanied by a good consumption of water, as consuming too many fibers throughout the day without drinking enough water can cause the opposite effect, worsening constipation.

See more tips about laxatives at:

Bowel release menu

The following table shows an example of a 3-day menu rich in fiber to fight constipation.

Meal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	1 cup of coffee with milk + 1 slice of whole grain bread with cheese and sesame	vitamin: 2 slices of papaya + 1 col of oat soup + 1/2 col of chia soup + 200 ml of milk	1 glass of plain yogurt with 3 prunes + 1 slice of whole grain bread with egg
Morning snack	3 prunes + 5 cashew nuts	1 pear + 10 peanuts	2 mashed papaya slices with 2 col of chia tea
Lunch dinner	4 col of brown rice soup with broccoli + chicken in tomato sauce + vegetables sautéed in olive oil	wholemeal pasta with tuna + pesto sauce + salad with cabbage, raisin, eggplant and zucchini	pumpkin puree + roast pan + green salad with olive oil and corn
Afternoon snack	1 plain yogurt with papaya and 1 col of honey soup	1 cup of coffee + 2 slices of brown bread with egg + 1 col of sesame tea	Avocado smoothie