Here’s a question you probably don’t hear often: how regular are you? Most Brits wouldn’t dream of discussing their bowel movements, but the NHS estimates that one in every seven adults in the UK have constipation at any one time, with the condition affecting twice as many women as men and becoming more common the older we get. And now a new wave of wellness influencers are opening up about their bowel problems and the effect of constipation on our physical and mental wellbeing.
On Instagram, the hashtags #constipation and #constipationremedy have hundreds of thousands of posts comprising tips, home remedies and dietary advice. There’s an emerging trend for “constipation nutritionists” such as Roslyn Kent of @plantsfirstnutrition, who tells her 161,000 followers that she is now a “pooping queen” but that her “gut wasn’t always like this”. Eli Brecher, a registered nutrition and gut health specialist, says that constipation is by far the most common complaint among her patients at her London clinic. “It is one of the most common digestive issues I see, especially among women,” Brecher says. “It can really affect how people feel day to day — from their energy levels and mood to complexion and bloating.”
Holly Brooke, 34, suffered for years from debilitating, persistent constipation. “I have been chronically constipated for as long as I can remember, but things started to get really bad when I went to university in Manchester and sometimes would go a week or even two weeks without pooing,” Brooke says. “It made me feel awful and I tried no end of supplements and treatments to cure it over 17 years, but nothing worked.” At times she relied on laxatives, a common short-term solution for constipation. “They provide the relief, but your gut can become reliant on laxatives so that when you stop taking them the constipation persists,” Brooke says. “Most GPs have told me in no uncertain terms that we shouldn’t be taking them long-term.”
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Only when she consulted a naturopath nutritionist who prescribed a cocktail of about 30 supplements — including magnesium citrate to help draw water into the bowels, peppermint to ease gassiness and barley grass to soften stools — did things begin to improve. With her friend Joely Sanderson, a former magazine beauty director who suffered chronic bloating for a decade before trying a similar natural approach, and medical advisers, she has just launched We Are Regular (weareregular.com), a laxative-free daily supplement with a variety of these ingredients in a single hit (£45 for 28 sachets). Sanderson says they “are now on a mission to break the constipation taboo”.
Julie Thompson, information manager for the charity Guts UK, says that in most cases constipation is temporary and will clear up with simple lifestyle strategies. But in rare cases complications arising from long-term constipation are more serious. In a 2025 study in Forensic Medicine and Pathology journal researchers at the University of Adelaide said that constipation can exacerbate existing diseases. Higher rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart disease are associated with the condition. In rare but documented cases chronic constipation has occasionally led to people suffering fatal complications such as perforated bowels, sepsis and internal organ damage.
Many people are not aware that simple factors such as stress, dehydration, a lack of activity and hormones can exacerbate the condition. “Many women do find that their bowels are slower at certain times of their menstrual cycle,” Thompson says. “And in both men and women there is a strong connection between our brain, our mood and the way the gut works so being upset or depressed can make the bowel slow down or speed up.” Here’s what you need to know.
It’s a myth you need to ‘go’ once a day
Constipation means different things to different people, says Thompson, and it is a myth that you need to open your bowels every day. “For some healthy people being regular means three times a day but for others it is three times a week,” she says. “Less frequent than three times a week, along with a change in bowel habit to harder poo that is difficult to pass, could suggest constipation.” Usually, it is temporary and not serious.
“If simple lifestyle measures such as diet and activity don’t help and your symptoms persist, then contact your GP,” she says. “Also, report any sudden slowing up of your bowel, especially if you are over 40, to your GP.”
If you also spot blood in your stools, have rectal pain, lumps in your abdominal area or experience unexplained weight loss or fatigue you should seek urgent medical attention.
Make sure you eat enough fibre — try dates, kiwis and flaxseeds
Fibre intake is essential for a healthy gut and digestion and most of us don’t hit the 30g daily target recommended by the NHS. High-fibre foods include wholegrains, fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes, all of which might help to ease your constipation. “Some people may find that it helps to eat more fruit and vegetables while others might prefer cereals and wholegrains,” Thompson says.
Work out what’s right for you, although nutritionists agree it is always best to get fibre from whole foods rather than supplements. “Foods like oats, chia seeds, flaxseeds, lentils, beans, fruit, vegetables and wholegrains provide not only fibre but also vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support overall gut health,” Brecher says. Dates, kiwis and flaxseeds are also gentle natural alternatives that can support regularity without the side-effects of laxatives.
… but don’t overdo it
Increasing your fibre intake too quickly (especially if you don’t drink enough water) can store up problems. “It is important to increase levels slowly,” Thompson says. “And if constipation is severe, consult your doctor before continuing to increase [fibre] intake as it occasionally makes symptoms worse, leading to bloating and more discomfort.”
Certain types of fibre may trigger IBS symptoms, including constipation, in some people. These are usually those that are highly fermentable, such as onions, garlic, wheat and dairy, where the bacteria in the colon produce gases to break them down, which can cause IBS symptoms.
“Eating smaller, more frequent fibre-rich meals can also help to ease the strain on the colon and help you to adapt,” Brecher says. “Magnesium-rich high-fibre foods such as leafy greens, nuts and seeds can also help to stimulate bowel movements.”
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Yes, eating more prunes can help
Dried fruit, including prunes, could help you to stay regular according to a recent study from King’s College London, Imperial College London and Queen Mary University London in BMJ Gut. Simon Steenson, a researcher in KCL’s department of nutritional sciences, and colleagues assigned a group of adults with chronic constipation and a low daily fibre intake to consume either 90g of dried prunes, apricots and raisins, 514ml of prune, grape and apricot juice, or a fruit-flavoured sugar placebo every day for four weeks. Results showed that “the dried fruit increased the bulk and the weight of people’s stools and also the number of bowel movements,” Steenson said.
About 8-10 prunes or a 90g mixture of prunes mixed with other dried fruit daily should do the trick. “Prunes, or dried plums, genuinely work because they contain both fibre and sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol that draws water into the bowel,” Brecher says.
Move your body to move your bowels
According to the NHS, keeping active and mobile will greatly reduce your risk of getting constipation and so you should do at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week. Good muscle tone in general is important for regular bowel movements — the muscles in the abdominal walls and the diaphragm play a crucial role in defecation, and if they are weak they won’t perform so well. Exercise also improves blood flow to the digestive tract which helps muscles to contract and move the food along.
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Do supplements work?
If you struggle to reach your daily fibre needs through diet alone, Brecher says that psyllium husk is “a well-researched option” for short-term fibre supplementation. “It absorbs water to form a gel-like texture that supports regularity,” she says. “Just be sure to increase it gradually and drink plenty of water alongside it to avoid bloating.”
“Peppermint oil capsules for bloating, or herbal teas such as ginger or peppermint tea can be helpful,” Brecher says. “Magnesium citrate sometimes supports bowel movements, but use it with caution and ideally ask a medical professional or nutritionist before taking any supplements for constipation.”
Fat jabs (and other drugs) can cause constipation
If you are taking medication such as Wegovy (semaglutide) or Mounjaro (tirzepatide) you might find that you are not as regular as usual. Clinical trials of GLP-1 antagonist weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide have found unwanted side-effects to include constipation and up to one in ten people taking tirzepatide have reported constipation.
Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietician, says this is a result of digestion and emptying of stomach contents slowing down when the drugs are used. “Bowel movements are slower, stools can be harder, and these are exacerbated if you are also a bit dehydrated,” Mellor says. “You need to pay extra attention to eating well and staying active and should speak to your GP if symptoms continue.”
If you have experienced constipation since taking other types of medication, check that it is not one of the side-effects. “Opioid painkillers are one of the commonest types of medication that can cause constipation,” Thompson says. “But don’t change your medication without talking to your doctor first.”
A strong coffee can help — as long as you stay hydrated
For many people, Brecher says a cup of coffee first thing might help. “This is due to caffeine stimulating the colon,” she says. “However, it’s best not to rely on coffee for regularity, as it can be dehydrating and may worsen symptoms in those with sensitive digestion issues.” Also, your body becomes used to the effects and before long you will need two cups, then three to stimulate a movement. “There are better ways to stay regular, including diet and exercise,” Brecher says.
Staying hydrated is crucial. “Stools are around 75 per cent water. When you are dehydrated the body reabsorbs water from the gastrointestinal tract to keep other vital organs functioning and this can lead to harder, dryer stools that are more difficult to move through the bowel,” she says. “We need to drink 1.5-2 litres of water a day.”
Travel can make symptoms worse
Constipation is a curse for many holidaymakers. “When we canvassed a wide range of women for their constipation, every single one of them said they could not poo on holiday, even if they never experienced problems at other times,” Sanderson says. “It is an incredibly common problem.”
A 2024 study in the Journal of Clinical Medical Research found that 30 healthy adults who took a medium-haul flight from Denmark to Turkey experienced less regularity for at least 24 hours with some reporting constipation for the first two days of their week-long holiday. The further you travel, the more likely it is that your bowels will respond in an unfavourable way and many find that a shift in time zones after long-haul flights leads to constipation. What’s going on?
“Travel can disrupt your body’s natural rhythm,” Brecher says. “Changes in routine, time zones, diet, fluid intake, and even limited access to bathrooms can all affect bowel movements.”
Sitting for long periods on planes or trains also slows gut motility and it is important to be active when you arrive. Stress for those who find travelling difficult or who have a fear of flying may contribute to constipation, so take steps to relieve stress if you can.
However interrupted your normal regime is, try never to ignore the urge to go to the toilet, as that can increase your risk of constipation.
Avoid too much alcohol
High intakes of alcohol can slow stomach emptying and bowel movements. It is also dehydrating and, since the body needs water for healthy soft stools, it often exacerbates constipation.
Drinking can also irritate the intestinal lining causing some people to poo more — but not in a healthy way and often in the form of diarrhoea. Keep tabs on the way alcohol affects your bowels and limit your intake to under 14 units per week, Brecher says.
The right probiotic can help
A review in Nature found that some food or supplement derived probiotics, or healthy bacteria, do help with “consistency and bowel movement” and Brecher says that some people who consume more probiotics from fermented foods — kimchi, kefir or supplements — typically have a higher number of bowel movements than those who don’t. When it comes to probiotic supplements it is important to choose the right type as not every form of bacteria has the same effect. Look for a product containing Bifidobacterium lactis, which was shown to have “a significant effect” on increasing stool frequency by KCL researchers reporting in Clinical Nutrition, whereas “a mixture of probiotics” did not show benefits.
weareregular.com; gutscharity.org.uk
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