Laxative Herbal & Remedies

When your body becomes too constipated, you can feel extremely bloated and it might even hurt too, so you started looking for immediate sources of relief. And there are many, completely natural ways to relieve constipation too.

One of the best is to simply drink some fruit juice. Grape juice or prune juice are excellent choices which often work very fast for instance. There are also many herbs which can be used to help relieve constipation quickly as well.


Cascara Sagrada for instance, is an herb used primarily as a natural laxative. It’s been used by Native Americans for centuries, and is known to some as “The Sacred Bark”, and also the californian buckthorn.

This herb is known to help increase bile production in the liver, as well as secretions of the stomach, pancreas and lower bowel. It actually promotes contractions of the bowel, or peristaltic action, which is what causes you have the urge to have a bowel movement.

Cascara Sagrada is not believed to be habit forming, and because it is not a purgative it is considered safe for use on babies or healthy pregnant women. Most doctors and modern medical specialists will warn you about using herbal laxatives though, because they assume the affects and dangers are the same as with prescription or over the counter medications. And while this can be true for some herbal laxatives, it’s not always the case.

Senna is another strong herbal laxative, and it is a purgative. This herb is often taken in tea form, and it also causes peristaltic contractions. Many people swear by how well this herb works, but they also note that it can make you feel very sick, and you that you shouldn’t be away from the bathroom for a couple of hours after taking it. If Senna makes you nauseous, adding a bit of ginger or cinnamon can sometimes help.

Slippery Elm is another wonderful herb that works for both constipation and diarrhea, because it normalizes the stools while soothing, coating and healing the intestinal tract lining. Slippery Elm should be taken with lots of water to help move it through your system.

Any kind of bulk fiber supplement or food source will usually get your bowels moving fairly soon too. If you’ve been constipated for several days though, this approach might take some time. A faster approach would be to take herbal supplements which are high in Chlorophyll content, such as Parsley or Alfalfa. Chlorophyll acts as a “broom” inside your colon, and helps get things moving fairly quickly after taking it.