Discover The 7 Best Laxative Herbs

Constipation is a problem that affects thousands of people. To tackle this problem, we recommend some of the best laxative herbs.

Processed foods, refined flour and stress are the main causes of this common problem. Not being able to go to the toilet translates into a swollen stomach, pain and difficulty going about your daily life.

Laxative herbs can help with this, and we’ll show you how in this article.

How, when and why does constipation develop

Your daily habits can cause a lot of different imbalances in your body. One of these is constipation, a condition caused by the bowel not functioning properly.

When they don’t work properly or are full of unhealthy, toxic foods, you can have problems with bowel movements.

This goes beyond being bloated. It’s good to know that if you don’t have a bowel movement at least once a day, it means that the waste in your body is not being processed properly, and this is damaging your health.

In addition, going to the toilet should not be too much effort and the stool should be soft. Otherwise we talk about constipation. It can become chronic if the problems persist for several days or weeks.

Do you want to learn more about this? Do you suffer from constipation? 5 breakfast tips

Which Laxative Herbs Are Best?

To go to the toilet once or twice a day, you need to have a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Avoid processed, fried and breaded foods.

It is also essential to drink 8 to 12 glasses of water per day and to exercise daily. 

In addition, to support your body in getting rid of waste, you can take advantage of the power of certain laxative herbs and plants:

plantain leaves

The leaves of this tree contain a good amount of  mucilage, an ingredient that can help people who suffer from chronic constipation. 

This is how you prepare it:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of plantain leaves (10 g)
• 250ml water

Preparation

• Put the water and leaves in a saucepan.
• Heat it on low heat until it starts to boil.
• Remove it from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes.
• Filter it and drink it right away.
• You can drink the plantain tea twice a day (once before going to bed).

Nettle

Nettle stimulates your digestive system and stimulates bowel movements (peristalsis) to remove fecal matter.

It is also very good for your liver. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon nettle leaves (10 g)
• 250ml water

Preparation

• Place the water and nettle leaves in a saucepan.
• Heat it and when it reaches the boiling point, let it boil for 5 minutes.

• Remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Filter it and enjoy.
• You can drink three cups a day (one on an empty stomach without food and the other half an hour before lunch and dinner).

licorice leaves

Fight heartburn naturally and cleanse your gut with licorice leaves. 

However, it is not a good idea to use this home remedy for more than two consecutive weeks. It can cause fluid buildup and raise your blood pressure.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of licorice leaves (10 g)
• 250ml water

Preparation

• Boil the water and the licorice leaves in a pan for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cover, let rest for about 5 minutes.
• Filter it and enjoy.

• You can drink three cups a day (one on an empty stomach and the other after meals).

mallow

Mallow prevents constipation, aids digestion, soothes abdominal pain and prevents cramps.

Mallow tea is a perfect tea for any nutrition related problem. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of mallow leaves (10 g)
• 250ml water

Preparation

• Boil the water and pour it into a cup when it boils.
• Add the mallow leaves and cover.
• After 10 minutes you can filter the tea.
• Drink it before it cools down.

• You can enjoy three cups a day. 

prickly pear

Although you may not initially think of this as an herb due to its shape (it resembles a cactus), prickly pear is a plant worth trying if you are suffering from constipation.

This is how you use it:

Ingredients

• 1 piece prickly pear, washed
• 500ml water

Preparation

• Boil the water and when it boils, add the prickly pear.
• Remove it from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Remove the prickly pear and drink the tea throughout the day. 

Verbena

Verbena is one of the most powerful laxative herbs.  It also has other remarkable properties: it relieves pain, works against inflammation and reduces cramps.

It is one of the best home treatments for gastritis and constipation.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons verbena leaves (20 g)
• 250ml water

Preparation

• Boil the water and add the verbena leaves.
• Remove it from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• After that you can filter it and drink it.
• Drink one cup on an empty stomach without food and the other before going to bed.

olive leaves

This leaf comes from a well-known Mediterranean tree and has the ability to relieve constipation. Enjoy a cup of olive leaf tea. This is considered an effective natural laxative.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive leaves (20 g)
• 500ml water

Preparation

• Boil the water and when it boils, add the olive leaves.
• Boil it for 5 minutes.
• Then remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Filter it and drink one cup on an empty stomach and the next cup half an hour before lunch.