Do you know Ayurveda's POV on constipation? It's internal dryness.

If you have been struggling with constipation for some time, this might come as a surprise to you. As per Ayurveda, constipation can be caused due to internal dryness in the body that can sometimes be extreme. This leads to the waste becoming dry and reduces the moisture in the gut, which slows down how quickly it moves down the gut. Moisture is essential for soft stools and a healthy bowel movement.

Constipation is a widespread gastrointestinal complaint characterized by infrequent and difficult bowel movement, often accompanied by the passage of hard stools. A well-hydrated gut produces mucus that helps stool move smoothly. While dehydration results in dry, hard stools that are difficult to pass.

What causes this dryness?

The internal dryness in the gut arises due to poor dietary and lifestyle choices. Some food items like pulses, legumes, beans, dried fruits, and processed foods devoid of fiber have a drying effect. Consumption of these foods aggravates the dryness in the digestive tract to cause obstruction and impair bowel movements.

Insufficient water intake, excessive consumption of caffeine or alcohol, certain medications, gut imbalance, and chronic stress are other factors that add to the dryness in the gut.

Adequate moisture in the gut not only helps fiber work effectively, it also lubricates the colon ensuring smooth movement, flushes out the toxins, and balances the electrolytes preventing sluggish digestion.

Here are some food items to add to your diet to manage constipation:

Furthermore, you will find warm cooked foods, warm drinks, well-cooked vegetables, and oil in the diet to be extremely helpful in this condition. Try to avoid raw and cold food items.