15 Foods That Cause Constipation (Caffeine, Red Meat, Alcohol) (2024)

FAQs

15 Foods That Cause Constipation (Caffeine, Red Meat, Alcohol)? ›

Try drinking warm liquids like herbal tea or water, which can stimulate bowel movements. Gentle abdominal massage or light exercise like walking may also help.

Try drinking warm liquids like herbal tea or water, which can stimulate bowel movements. Gentle abdominal massage or light exercise like walking may also help.

Red meat

A juicy steak or burger once in a while can be a healthy addition to your diet, but eating red meat daily can contribute to constipation. Red meat has no fiber. Fiber is needed because it adds bulk to stool so it moves through your system smoothly.

Instead, keep a bottle of water with you and remember to drink from it all day. Juice is OK, too, but watch other drinks. Fluids that have caffeine -- like coffee and soft drinks -- may make you dehydrated and make your constipation worse. And milk can make some people constipated.

The BRAT diet ― bananas, rice, applesauce and toast ― is one dietitians recommend for a range of digestive issues, and it can help with both constipation and diarrhea. Intermittent fasting can have variable effects on bowel movement regularity since there are so many different schedules to choose from.

Crouching on a chair

Sitting a certain way for seven seconds is not proven to help constipation. However, changing your body posture while on the toilet can make things easier. Place your feet on a stool to place your knees higher than your hips.

Like bananas, caffeine can go either way. Caffeine is a stimulant that can make a person have more bowel stools or in excess, diarrhea. If a person is dehydrated, the caffeine in coffee, black tea, colas, and chocolate can make constipation worse.

As bananas ripen, the starches are converted into simple sugars. Ripe bananas are at their peak sweetness and can actually help alleviate constipation. Ripe banana sugars are much easier for the body to digest. The texture is softer, and the resistant starch is converted into pectin, a soluble fiber.

Can alcohol cause constipation? ›

Drinks that have an alcohol content greater than 15 percent have an inhibitory effect on peristalsis. This means that alcohol slows down gastrointestinal motility, which can lead to constipation. Conversely, beverages with lower alcohol contents can increase gastric emptying rates.

Peppermint tea may help treat and prevent cases of constipation. Peppermint is supposed to be good for digestive health. Green tea also seems to have positive effects on digestive health. It has been used to help treat nausea, diarrhea, and constipation.

Good choices include water, prune juice, warm juices, decaffeinated teas and hot lemonade. A hot beverage may help to stimulate a bowel movement. To help lessen the amount of air you swallow while eating, try not to talk much at meals, and don't use straws to drink. Avoid chewing gum and carbonated drinks.

Natural laxatives include foods rich in magnesium, fiber, and probiotics, as well as drinks like water, prune juice, and coffee. Certain herbs, such as senna, ginger, peppermint, and aloe vera, can also help to keep your bowel movements more regular.

Some people have health conditions that make many foods hard to digest. Foods that are easier to digest include toast, white rice, bananas, eggs, chicken, salmon, gelatine, applesauce, and oatmeal. Symptoms of digestive problems include acid reflux, bloating, or abdominal pain.

Peanut butter is a high fiber food that is an unlikely cause of constipation for most people. Rather, the cause of constipation is likely to be inadequate daily fiber and fluid intake. Some people may also have a peanut intolerance that may cause constipation when consuming peanut butter as a regular part of the diet.