Why is the tea used to treat constipation?

Regularly consuming fluids such as water and tea is one of the best ways to prevent constipation or treat it when symptoms develop. The more hydrated you are, the better lubricated your intestines are and the more moisture remains in your stools.

Certain herbs in teas can help with more than meeting your daily fluid requirements. Cascara, for example, has been used as a laxative for centuries. It’s found in some herbal teas and in supplement form, too.

Senna is another herb that many people use as a laxative. Like cascara, it’s in herbal remedy teas and you can take it as a supplement. This herb interferes with water reabsorption by your colon so that more moisture stays in your stools.

You should only use herbal teas, such as those containing senna or cascara, for short-term constipation relief.

What causes constipation?

The three most common causes of constipation are:

• a low-fiber diet
• a sedentary lifestyle
• dehydration

Sometimes, traveling can lead to a change in bowel habits. Stress and anxiety may have a similar effect.

If you’re pregnant, you may find constipation to be a temporary but uncomfortable problem. Your child may become constipated if they’ve learned how to use the toilet but they try to hold in bowel movements.

Medical problems

Constipation can also be a symptom of a more serious medical problem, such as :

• irritable bowel syndrome and other intestinal conditions
• thyroid disease
• cystic fibrosis
• a mood disorder
• some neurological problems, especially those affecting the nerves around the bowel and rectum

Delaying going to the bathroom

If you often delay going to the bathroom, this may also lead to constipation. It’s common for people who have hemorrhoids to experience this issue. Because hemorrhoids can make it painful to pass stool, people may delay going to the bathroom. If waiting to pass stool leads to constipation, it can make the next bowel movement even more painful.

Side effects of medication

Constipation is a potential side effect of many medications. These include:

• certain narcotic pain medications
• certain antidepressants
• certain over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as antihistamines and antacids

Risk factors to consider

Only adults should consume teas that include herbs with laxative properties. If your child is constipated, consider exercise, more fluids, and adding more high-fiber foods to their diet. Some OTC laxatives also have doses designed for children.

If you’re generally healthy, it’s likely safe for you to try a commercial product, such as an herbal tea, to treat a bout of constipation. Be cautious about using herbal teas with unusual-sounding ingredients and promises that seem too good to be true.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate teas for constipation relief. Therefore, you can’t be entirely sure what ingredients are included in the tea. It’s not possible for you to know if there has been any reliable testing on the product’s safety and effectiveness.

If you’re pregnant, you should avoid certain herbal products due to potential risks. For example, teas with senna may raise your risk of diarrhea and dehydration if you’re pregnant. Talk to your doctor before trying any herbal or OTC product.

Which teas do people use to treat constipation?

Herbal teas can be made from a mixture of herbs, or a combination of herbs and tea leaves. You should always check the ingredients on the label so that you know what you’re drinking.

These teas are the most commonly used to relieve constipation:

• Senna tea acts as a stimulant laxative, which works by stimulating the intestines to move stool along. Senna tea tends to have a bitter taste, so you may want to add honey or some other flavoring to make it more palatable.
• Some people use dandelion tea to relieve water retention, but it can act as a mild laxative, too.
• Cascara tea can have a strong laxative effect. You shouldn’t have more than is recommended. Cascara is available in laxative capsules as well as teas.
• 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.
• Hot or iced black tea may have a mild enough laxative effect that it can help prevent constipation, but you can consume it daily without long-term health risks. Adding honey or molasses to your tea may enhance its laxative properties.

How much tea should you drink?

Many teas marketed for their laxative effects come with instructions that suggest consuming one cup right before bedtime. Be sure to read the label and follow the directions carefully. Herbal teas, including those that help treat constipation, are sold in grocery stores, health food stores, and online.

For most laxative teas, the instructions recommend only one cup per day. However, if your constipation persists for more than a few days, you may need a stronger laxative medication. You should visit your doctor if your constipation lasts a week or more.

What are the side effects?

Teas sold specifically as constipation treatments are intended for short-term use only. Long-term use of these products may have risks. For example, your bowels may become dependent on these products, and you might eventually find it more difficult to have a bowel movement without them. Constipation may also be a symptom of a more serious medical condition.

Talk to your doctor if you have constipation related to a chronic health condition. Your doctor may recommend certain laxatives that you can take more regularly. You should take laxatives of any type as infrequently as possible.

It’s important to look into the potential long-term side effects of any herbal product that you take regularly. For example, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has reported that long-term use of cascara and senna can cause liver damage.

Herbal teas may also interact with the medicines you currently take. If you take a prescription drug, be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist before using a laxative tea.

If your constipation is due to a low-fiber diet or not drinking enough fluids, one cup of laxative tea may be enough to help return your system to normal. But constipation has many different possible causes. If an underlying medical condition is causing your constipation, you may need to seek a stronger treatment.

You should help these teas and other treatments do their job by getting more physically active and following a high-fiber diet.

How to prevent future constipation

Preventing constipation is the best way to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with your quality of life. If you have a medical condition that causes constipation, prevention options might not work for you. Making certain lifestyle choices can help keep you regular if you’re in good overall health.

Diet

Eating a high-fiber diet can help prevent constipation. High-fiber foods include green, leafy vegetables, fruits, such as berries, and whole grains. These foods are sometimes called “roughage.” Aim to fill at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables and every meal. Throughout the day, try to make sure that at least half of the grain products you eat are whole grain. These foods have ingredients that benefit your digestive system and promote your overall health.

Staying well-hydrated is also essential for good digestive health. All of your body’s systems need water to work properly.

Exercise

You should also try to exercise for at least 150 minutes per week. You can break that goal down into five sessions per week that last 30 minutes each. Many different types of physical activity may help prevent constipation, including:

• walking
• jogging
• swimming
• aerobics

Getting more exercise also supports good heart health, and it may also help you feel healthier and more energized.

What does the research say?

There isn’t a lot of research specifically related to green tea and having to poop — what we call a laxative effect. However, some studies can give clues about how your digestive tract may react to green tea.

• A 2016 animal study looked at the effects of strictinin, a compound commonly found in green tea. The authors found that rats fed with strictinin had a greater laxative effect than rats that didn’t receive the compound. They found that strictinin increased movement in the rat’s small intestine, which made them poop more.
• Green tea contains caffeine. The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) reports that caffeine has a laxative effect that can lead to diarrhea. The foundation says drinking two to three cups of coffee or tea a day can worsen symptoms.
• Drinking more fluids can help reduce constipation, a condition where you can’t poop often or your stools are hard to pass. Drinking more fluids, including green tea, can soften stools, so you can more easily have a bowel movement.

These are just some of the ways that green tea may make you poop, but there haven’t been human studies that say this is definitely true. Also, the potential laxative effects of green tea don’t seem to be as strong as other teas, such as senna and cascara.

What about green tea extracts or supplements?

Supplement manufacturers take some of the compounds found in green tea and package them into supplements and powders. These supplements may appeal to people who don’t want to drink a lot of tea each day to achieve green tea’s reported benefits.

One of the most common components in green tea extracts is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This is a catechin, which is a compound that has antioxidant (inflammation-fighting) properties. However, researchers haven’t found that EGCG has a laxative effect.

If caffeine in green tea is the primary potential cause for making you poop, read your green tea supplements carefully. Some supplements have caffeine, while others are caffeine-free. Also, green tea extracts aren’t fluids, which may affect their constipation-reducing benefits.

What are the proven benefits of green tea?

While researchers have performed many studies on green tea and its health benefits, there isn’t a lot of conclusive evidence to conclude that green tea has any medicinal benefits. However, people use green tea or its extracts for some of the following purposes:

• aiding in weight loss
• improving mental alertness
• protecting against cancer and heart disease
• reducing headache pain
• reducing risks for some cancer types

As you’ll read below, drinking green tea doesn’t have a lot of side effects, and it has many reported benefits. Drinking it may help enhance your health, but it shouldn’t take the place of a doctor’s advice when it comes to your health, diet, or medications you’re taking.

Any downsides to drinking green tea?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that green tea is safe when used in moderation. Some of the rare but potential side effects of consuming green tea include:

• liver disorders, which may cause jaundice, dark urine, or stomach pain
• reduced effects of the beta-blocker nadolol

It’s important to know that green tea has caffeine in it. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you may experience unpleasant symptoms like:

• rapid heart rate
• problems sleeping
• headaches

Are there any other types of teas that may have laxative effects?

Tea manufacturers use the Camellia sinensis plant to make black, green, and oolong teas. This means these tea types will likely have similar effects on the intestines. However, each tea type is prepared in different ways. For example, green tea is produced by lightly steaming the leaves.

However, some teas are known to have stronger laxative effects than those made from the Camellia sinensis plant.

The IFFGD reports that senna tea is a natural laxative. This tea contains the compounds anthraquinones, which have a strong laxative effect.

Other tea types that may help if you experience constipation include:

• cascara tea
• dandelion tea
• peppermint tea

These teas may have various effects on your body that increase the likelihood you’ll go to the bathroom.

It’s important to note that these teas are useful for relieving occasional constipation, but they should not be used as a long-term solution. If you experience chronic constipation, speak to your doctor. It may be caused by an underlying condition.

Some people may find they poop more often or more easily when they drink green tea. However, there isn’t any research to suggest how much green tea can have this effect or if drinking green tea makes most people poop.

If you’re looking to drink a tea with laxative effects, talk to your doctor about other options, such as senna tea.

Your digestion highway

The digestive tract extends from your mouth to your rectum. Some of the main organs involved in digestion are the:

• stomach
• small intestine
• the large intestine, where stool ultimately exits via the rectum

Along with each point of the gastrointestinal tract, nutrients are absorbed and the wastes from food breakdown are ultimately released from the body.

Special motions including churning in the stomach and peristalsis (a rhythmic movement) in the intestines help to propel food material forward through the digestive tract.

The softer and bulkier the stool is, the more likely it is to activate the movements of the intestines and move forward. When it’s time for you to go to the bathroom, muscles in your pelvic floor work together to help push stool out of the rectum.

What does constipation feel like?

Constipation can happen due to one or more breakdowns of the expected pathway where stool is excreted.

These can include slow-moving stool, hard stools, or experiencing a problem with the muscles and nerves needed to pass a bowel movement.

As a result, constipation can “feel” like many symptoms. Examples include:

• fullness in the stomach or pelvic region
• cramping of the bowels
• feeling like stool remains in the rectum but cannot pass
• feelings of heaviness or discomfort in the stomach and abdominal regions
• aching feeling in the back

Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between discomfort in your stomach and intestines. You might feel cramping or bloat in your intestines that push upward on your stomach.

As a result, you could feel stomach discomfort while the area of constipation is really in your intestines.

Sometimeency.

Seek immediate medical advice and treatment if you experience the following:

• symptoms don’t get better or they become worse even after trying self-care measures at home, including laxatives
• continued pain after trying to have bowel movements or pain that gets worse
• constipation that alternates with diarrhea

These symptoms can be a sign of bleeding in the digestive tract or that you are experiencing an intestinal blockage. These can be life-threatening emergencies.

What are the treatments for constipation?

Constipation treatments can range from lifestyle to medication treatments. If you have an obstruction or scarring that is blocking the movement of your stool, you may require surgery.

Some at-home, self-care measures you can use to reduce the incidence of constipation include:

• Drinking plenty of water to where your urine should be pale yellow in color.
• Eating at least 25 grams of fiber a day through sources such as vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.
• Engaging in regular physical activity, such as walking, riding a bicycle, or dancing. These physical activity elements can mimic the natural movement of the stool and help the stool move more quickly.
• Talking to your doctor about medications you may be taking that affect constipation. However, you shouldn’t stop taking your medicines without talking to your doctor first.

There are also over-the-counter (OTC) medications that can ideally reduce constipation, such as fiber supplements.

What does constipation feel like when pregnant?

Pregnant women experience constipation at a higher rate than the general population. An estimated 11 to 38 percent[rx] of pregnant women have problems with constipation.

Some of the factors that make it more likely pregnant women will have constipation include:

• increased progesterone levels and reduced hormones called motilin that slow intestinal movement
• increased water absorption in the intestines that causes stool to dry out
• increased calcium and iron supplements that can increase constipation risk
• an enlarged uterus that presses on the intestines, slowing their movement
• decreased physical activity

Constipation may be difficult to recognize initially if you’re pregnant because you may be uncertain your symptoms are related to pregnancy. Examples could include bloating or feelings of abdominal fullness and pressure.

When you’re pregnant, you can’t take the same medications you did when you weren’t expecting, due to concerns the medicines could affect the baby.

Also, there isn’t a lot of data about the safety of using laxatives to promote bowel movements during pregnancy.

However, some treatments that do not seem to be associated with adverse side effects include:

• bulk-forming agents (although these can cause gas, cramping, and bloating in some pregnant women)
• lubricant laxatives, such as mineral oil
• stool softeners, such as docusate sodium (Colace)

Sometimes laxatives can lead to electrolyte imbalances that could cause you to feel ill and potentially affect your baby.

For this reason, it’s important that if you’re pregnant you take these medications for a short time and try lifestyle techniques, such as more fiber, increased water intake, and more physical activity (if tolerated).

When you’re constipated and have hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels that occur inside or outside the rectum. They can bleed and make bowel movements painful to pass.

This can be especially difficult if you have hemorrhoids with constipation because your bowel movements already may pass more slowly or be hard to pass. The combination of the two conditions can make going to the bathroom an extremely unpleasant experience.

However, if you’re constipated and have hemorrhoids, you shouldn’t try to put off going to the bathroom when the urge hits. Doing so can put further strain on the bowels and worsen hemorrhoids when you ultimately do pass the stool.

When you have hemorrhoids, changing the position of your body when you use the bathroom may help reduce pressure on the rectum. An example could be planting your feet on a small step stool as you go to the bathroom. This may make stool easier to pass.

Treating constipation with hemorrhoids

Taking steps to treat both your constipation and hemorrhoids can help reduce the incidence of both conditions. Examples include:

• Cleansing the anal area gently and thoroughly after going to the bathroom. Some people may find using baby wipes or rinsing the area may help.
• Drinking plenty of water to make stool less hard.
• Applying anti-inflammatory creams (e.g. steroids like OTC Preparation H) to the area to reduce itching and skin irritation.
• Eating a high-fiber diet, such as fruits, vegetables, and cereals to help add bulk to stool naturally and make it easier to pass.

If you continue to have problems with hemorrhoids, including blood in your stool, talk to your doctor.

What causes constipation?

Constipation can result from several underlying reasons. These can include:

• aging
• diabetes
• dietary changes, such as lower fiber or not drinking enough fluids
• history of colon surgery
• history of gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome
• history of pelvic floor disorders
• intestinal obstructions
• pregnancy

It can also result from taking certain medications, such as:

• aluminum- and calcium-containing antacids
• anticonvulsants
• calcium channel blockers
• diuretics
• iron supplements
• narcotic pain medications
• medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease

Sometimes, the movement of the colon slows for no known reason, and constipation results.

Whether temporary or chronic, constipation can be an unpleasant occurrence whose symptoms don’t always happen where and when you think they will.

Fortunately, most instances of constipation can resolve with at-home, self-care measures. If your symptoms don’t resolve or you experience pain and bleeding, call a doctor.

If you have fewer than three bowel movements a week combined with difficulty with your bowel movements or another discomfort, it may be worthwhile to talk to a doctor.

Feeling a little backed up?

Constipation can be an uncomfortable problem to have. But many people experience it from time to time, especially while pregnant or taking certain medications.

There are many potential causes of constipation. There are also many treatment options. Adjusting your lifestyle habits or reaching for home remedies may be all you need to treat occasional constipation.

Take the time to learn about some of the best natural remedies for constipation.

Keep a consistent schedule

Staying in bed all day may seem like a nice way to spend a lazy Sunday. But skipping your morning bathroom break can lead to problems.

Not going to the bathroom regularly can cause your stools to harden and your intestines to slow their motion. Try to go to the bathroom before bedtime and first thing in the morning. Not everyone needs to go at these times, but following a regular schedule can help. You may be able to ward off future bouts of constipation by getting up and moving around at the same time every day.

Exercise regularly

You might not feel like taking a trip to the gym when you’re backed up, but exercise may provide the relief you need. Going for a walk or run, for example, can help stimulate the muscles in your intestines and colon. Any physical movement helps the bowels move things through.

To help prevent and relieve constipation, make exercise a regular part of your routine. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. That’s equivalent to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, five days a week. If that seems like too much for you, set a smaller goal to start. Try to get some physical activity every day to stay regular.

Stay hydrated

Drinking enough fluids can also help prevent and treat constipation. It can help move food through your digestive system and stop stool from hardening.

In general, you should aim to drink about nine cups of liquid a day if you’re a woman and 13 cups if you’re a man. If you’re constipated or taking fiber supplements, you may need to drink more. Ask your doctor for guidance.

Though water is an ideal choice, don’t discount the benefits of other beverages. Green tea, black tea, coffee, and other drinks can all count towards your daily fluid intake.

Eat enough dietary fiber

Getting enough fiber in your diet is crucial. There are two main types of fiber: soluble fiber soaks up water, which helps keep your stool soft; insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, which helps it move through your digestive system faster.

To help treat mild cases of constipation, try eating easy-to-digest foods that are high in fiber, such as berries, bananas, prunes, or avocado. To prevent future problems, include plenty of fiber-rich foods in your diet, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. You may also benefit from a daily fiber supplement, such as psyllium husk (Metamucil).

Consider taking magnesium supplements

Getting enough magnesium in your diet might also help relieve constipation. Oral magnesium supplements function as osmotic laxatives. That means they pull water into your digestive system, which helps soften your stool.

You can purchase magnesium capsules at health food stores and pharmacies. You can also get magnesium from food sources. Talk to your doctor before taking magnesium if you have a history of kidney problems. Conveniently, most foods that are high in magnesium are also high in fiber. For example, whole grains and dark leafy greens are good sources of both.

Reach for coconut oil

According to Dr. Arielle Miller Levitan, an Illinois-based internal medicine specialist, eating a tablespoon or two of coconut oil each day might help lubricate your intestines. In turn, this may help prevent constipation. Ask your doctor if this remedy might work for you.

If the idea of swallowing a spoonful of coconut oil doesn’t appeal to you, there are other ways to add it to your diet. For example, you could mix it into your morning coffee or blend it with vinegar for a simple salad dressing.

The next time you feel a little constipated, try these home remedies. They may be all you need to get your bowels moving again.

If these remedies don’t work, or you find that you’re chronically constipated, talk to your doctor. They might recommend lifestyle changes, medication changes, or other treatments. In some cases, chronic constipation is caused by another underlying health condition. Your doctor can help you identify and treat the cause

Why does this happen?

Bowel movements look different for every person. Some may poop multiple times a day, while others may only feel the need to go every few days.

But it’s crucial to keep track of your bowel movements so that you can recognize when you’re constipated. Here’s a general guideline for knowing when you’re constipated:

• You’re pooping fewer than three times a week.
• Your poops are dry and hard.
• You have to push or strain.
• Your gut still full or bloated even after you’ve pooped.
• You are experiencing a rectal blockage.

So what exactly causes this to happen?

The regularity of your bowel movements is tied to many factors, including:

• when you eat
• what you eat
• when you sleep
• when you exercise
• how healthy your gut bacteria are
• what environment you’re in

All of these factors can affect the timing of both fluid removal and muscle contractions in your colon.

As waste passes through the colon, fluid from the small intestine is removed, and muscles contract to push the remaining waste to your rectum to be expelled.

But this timing is highly dependent on your lifestyle. Sudden changes in diet or activity level can change your colon’s behavior.

Drinking less water, for example, can cause your colon to suck up extra moisture from your waste, making it dryer.

And changes in triggers for muscle contractions, such as eating and drinking, can delay contractions and make it take longer for poop to pass through.

This results in hard, dry, stools that can get stuck in your colon, resulting in constipation.

Home remedies

Here are some home remedies for constipation that you can try while you’re on the road or after you get home from a trip and still aren’t regular:

Drink water

Make sure you’re drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of fluid or more each day. Travel with a reusable water bottle and find refill stations at airports or train stations.

Eat fiber

Bring along travel snacks or meals rich in fiber so that you can get the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Try dried fruits and vegetables that are low in added sugars, or fiber bars and trail mix.

But remember you must drink enough fluids for the fiber to have a positive effect. If you just eat more fiber and don’t supplement with additional fluids, you could end up more constipated and gassy.

Pack fiber supplements

Fiber supplements — like psyllium (Metamucil) and calcium polycarbophil (FiberCon) — can help poop move through your intestines.

Try stool softeners

Use a stool softener before you head out on a long flight or trip. This can help you poop more often or more easily by making the stool softer and easier to pass with natural intestinal moisture. Try an over-the-counter stool softener like docusate sodium (Colace).

Consider osmetics

Bring along an osmotic to help your colon produce more fluid. This includes over-the-counter (OTC) osmotic like magnesium hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia) and polyethylene glycol (Miralax).

Use a stimulant laxative if other methods fail

A stimulant laxative, such as sennosides (Ex-Lax) or bisacodyl (Dulcolax), can help your intestines have muscle contractions. However, using stimulants more often than necessary can make your colon depend on laxatives to function or increase your risk of colon cancer they’re non-fiber laxatives.

Do an enema

Use a commercially prepared enema (like Fleet) or a glycerin suppository in your rectum to stimulate a bowel movement.

Go natural

Try drinking a natural lubricant for your bowels, like mineral oil.

Treatments

Here are some possible medical treatments for constipation in case it’s not going away after a few days:

• Medications that bring water in your gut to treat chronic constipation. Prescription medications like plecanatide (Trulance), Lubiprostone (Amitiza), and linaclotide (Linzess) make sure your intestines have enough fluids to help poop move through them more easily.
• Serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptors. These medications, such as prucalopride (Motegrity), can make it easier for poop to get through the colon.
• Peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs). Constipation can be more severe if you’re also taking certain pain medications, such as opioids, while you travel. cameras like methylnaltrexone (Relistor) and naloxegol (Movantik) can fight against these side effects of pain medications.
• Surgery for obstructions or blockages that prevent you from pooping may need to be surgically cleared or removed. In severe cases, you may need part of your colon removed to reduce the occurrence of blockages or obstructions.

Prevention

Here are some tips to prevent constipation while you’re traveling:

• Try to maintain your usual diet, sleep, and exercise routine while you travel. Eat the same meals at the same times and try to sleep at your usual times.
• Reduce or avoid caffeine or alcohol while you’re traveling, as these can make you dehydrated and increase your risk of constipation.
• Avoid snacks or meals that can reduce bowel movement. This includes cooked meats, processed meats, cheeses, and milk.
• Eat snacks with probiotics to help encourage the growth of healthy bacteria to have regular, healthy bowel movements. You may want to start doing this a few days before you travel so that the bacteria has time to grow.
• Be careful about eating any new foods in the places you’re traveling. Different countries have various ingredients and cooking styles that might affect your bowel movements in unexpected ways.
• Try to stay active while you’re traveling. Aim for around 20 minutes of activity a day (about 150 minutes a week). Try stretching, jogging in place, or going to a gym in the airport or in a city you’re staying in.
• Go poop as soon as you feel ready. The longer your poop stays in your colon, the more likely it may become dry and hard.

When to talk with a doctor

Constipation is normal when you travel. But you should see your doctor if you have symptoms of constipation frequently, or if you’ve had constipation for a few days or weeks with no sign that a bowel movement is coming.

Here are some symptoms you should watch out for that may mean you need to see your doctor as soon as possible:

• You haven’t had a bowel movement in over a week or have been constipated (occasional bowel movements) for over 3 weeks.
• You feel abnormal pain or tightness in your lower abdomen.
• It hurts when you poop.
• There’s blood in your poop.
• You’ve lost a lot of weight for no apparent reason.
• Your bowel movements change suddenly without any obvious disruptions in your diet or lifestyle.

Travel constipation can happen to all of us, whether it’s after a short road trip to a neighboring state or a several-days-long flight across a continent or an ocean.

But you can do a lot to prevent the worst of travel constipation and even make sure your bowels don’t miss a beat — just try to maintain your usual level of diet and activity as closely as possible no matter what your vacation destination is.

Supports gut health

Like other fermented foods, kombucha is loaded with probiotics, a type of beneficial bacteria found in your gut.

Probiotics are associated with a long list of impressive benefits, especially when it comes to digestive health. In fact, studies show that they may reduce inflammation in your gut, alleviate diarrhea, and enhance nutrient absorption (rx, rx, rx).

What’s more, one review found that probiotic supplements significantly reduced symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition whose symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, and bloating (rx).

Keep in mind that these studies are focused on the effects of probiotic supplements rather than probiotic-rich foods like kombucha.

Additionally, because the probiotic content of kombucha varies widely, it’s unclear how much kombucha you would need to drink to achieve similar results.

Kombucha is a good source of probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that support several aspects of gut health.

May prevent constipation

Although no research has directly examined kombucha and constipation, some studies have found that increasing your intake of probiotics eases the condition.

One review concluded that probiotics decreased constipation by 10–40% in older adults, compared with placebo treatment (rx).

Another review showed that probiotics increased stool frequency, improved stool consistency, and sped the movement of food through the digestive tract (rx).

Other research has observed similar results (rx, rx).

Keep in mind that the effects of probiotics on constipation may vary depending on the strain (rx).

Furthermore, additional research on the effects of kombucha specifically is still needed.

Studies posit that increasing your intake of probiotics may improve stool frequency and consistency to prevent constipation, though research on kombucha itself is still needed.

Helps you stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is crucial for several aspects of your health, including digestion.

In fact, dehydration is a common cause of constipation. That’s because fluid ensures that food and stools are able to pass through the digestive tract efficiently. Fluid also improves stool consistency, making it easier to pass (rx).

Drinking plenty of fluids, such as kombucha, is a great way to stay hydrated to prevent constipation.

Although fluid needs vary depending on your age, sex, size, and health status, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine recommends that most adult men and women drink at least 125 and 91 ounces (3.7 and 2.7 liters), respectively, per day (rx).

While you shouldn’t depend entirely on kombucha to meet your fluid needs, it can certainly help keep enough fluids in your body to support regularity.

Kombucha can help you stay hydrated, which may help prevent constipation and promote regularity. Kombucha is a potentially good source of probiotics, which can promote gut health and prevent constipation.

It can also help keep you hydrated, which is important for improving stool consistency and promoting regularity.

However, note that varieties with added juice or flavoring ingredients can contribute to varying nutrient and calorie contents. Plus, kombucha may contain varying amounts of alcohol, so those requiring alcohol-free beverages should read the label carefully.

In the end, whether kombucha helps you poop likely depends on several factors, including your hydration, health status, and current diet.