A combination of dietary changes, physical techniques, and targeted over-the-counter options can relieve both constipation and bloating, often within days. These two symptoms frequently travel together: slow-moving stool gives gut bacteria more time to ferment food, producing gas that stretches the intestines and creates that uncomfortable fullness. Addressing the root cause, sluggish transit, tends to improve both problems at once.
Fiber: The First Line of Defense
Increasing dietary fiber is the single most effective long-term strategy for constipation. Fiber adds bulk and weight to stool, softens it, and helps it move through the digestive tract more efficiently. Current U.S. dietary guidelines recommend 25 to 28 grams per day for adult women and 30 to 34 grams per day for adult men, depending on age. Most Americans fall well short of those numbers.
The two types of fiber play different roles. Insoluble fiber, found in whole-wheat products, wheat bran, nuts, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes, is the heavy lifter for constipation. It doesn’t dissolve in water, so it pushes material through your digestive system and adds bulk to stool. Soluble fiber, found in oats, beans, apples, bananas, avocados, citrus fruits, and barley, dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material that slows digestion. Both types matter, but if constipation is your primary complaint, prioritize insoluble sources.
One important caveat: adding fiber too quickly can temporarily worsen bloating. Increase your intake gradually over one to two weeks, and drink plenty of water alongside it. Fiber works by absorbing water. Without enough fluid, it can compact in the gut and make things worse.
Foods With Clinical Evidence Behind Them
Three foods have been tested head-to-head in a clinical trial for chronic constipation: green kiwifruit, prunes, and psyllium husk. All three significantly increased the number of complete, spontaneous bowel movements per week after four weeks of use. The doses used were two green kiwifruits per day, 100 grams of prunes per day (roughly 10 prunes), and 12 grams of psyllium per day.
If bloating is a major concern alongside your constipation, kiwifruit stands out. Participants in the kiwifruit group reported significant improvement in bloating scores, something the other two treatments did not achieve. Kiwifruit contains a natural enzyme that aids protein digestion and has a high water content, which may explain why it relieves gas buildup more effectively than fiber-dense options like prunes.
The Low-FODMAP Approach for Stubborn Bloating
If bloating persists despite increasing fiber and fluids, certain carbohydrates in your diet may be fermenting excessively in the gut. FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates found in foods like onions, garlic, wheat, certain fruits, dairy, and legumes. They’re poorly absorbed in some people, and gut bacteria feast on them, producing gas.
A low-FODMAP elimination diet has shown strong results in people with irritable bowel syndrome. Up to 86% of IBS patients report improvement in overall gastrointestinal symptoms on this diet, with 38% seeing meaningful improvement specifically in bloating and a similar percentage improving in constipation. The diet works in three phases: a strict elimination period of two to six weeks, a reintroduction phase where you test foods one at a time, and a personalization phase where you eat normally except for your specific triggers. Working with a dietitian makes the process much more manageable.
How You Sit on the Toilet Matters
Your body position during a bowel movement has a surprisingly large effect on how easily stool passes. When you sit on a standard toilet, a muscle called the puborectalis wraps around the rectum and creates a kink, like bending a garden hose. Squatting straightens that angle, which increases pressure in the rectum and reduces the pressure needed in the anal canal. The result is less straining, faster evacuation, and a more complete feeling of emptying.
You don’t need to squat on your bathroom floor. A simple footstool placed in front of the toilet, raising your knees above your hips, mimics the squat position. Studies on these devices confirm they reduce straining, decrease time spent on the toilet, and improve the sensation of complete bowel emptying.
Abdominal Massage for Immediate Relief
A technique called the “I Love U” massage follows the path of the large intestine and can help move trapped gas and stool toward the exit. You perform three strokes on your abdomen while lying on your back with knees slightly bent. First, stroke straight down the left side of your abdomen (the “I”). Then, stroke across from right to left just below your ribcage and down the left side (the “L” or inverted “L”). Finally, stroke up the right side, across the top, and down the left side, tracing a “U” shape.
Use gentle, steady pressure with your fingertips or the flat of your palm, and repeat each stroke several times. In a clinical study, performing this massage for 15 minutes twice daily over 10 days significantly reduced abdominal circumference (a direct measure of distention) and increased the frequency of bowel movements. Even if you don’t commit to that full schedule, a few minutes of abdominal massage when you feel bloated can help move gas along.
Over-the-Counter Laxatives
When dietary and lifestyle changes aren’t enough, two main categories of laxatives are available without a prescription: osmotic and stimulant.
Osmotic laxatives, like polyethylene glycol (sold as MiraLAX) and lactulose, work by drawing water into the intestines to soften stool. They’re generally the first choice because they’re gentle and effective. Polyethylene glycol consistently increases bowel movements compared to placebo, though it can cause some flatulence and nausea. Lactulose tends to produce more normal-consistency stools and fewer side effects, including less abdominal distention, than stimulant options.
Stimulant laxatives, like bisacodyl and senna, work by triggering contractions in the intestinal wall. They act faster but come with a higher rate of diarrhea and abdominal pain. About 32% of people taking one common stimulant experience diarrhea, compared to much lower rates with osmotic agents. Stimulant laxatives are better suited for occasional, short-term use rather than daily management.
Peppermint Oil for Gas and Cramping
Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules act as a natural antispasmodic, relaxing the smooth muscle of the intestinal wall. This can relieve the cramping and pressure that often accompany bloating. The enteric coating is essential because it prevents the capsule from dissolving in the stomach (where peppermint oil can cause heartburn) and delivers it to the intestines where it’s needed. The typical regimen used in trials is one capsule taken three to four times daily, 15 to 30 minutes before meals. Peppermint oil won’t resolve constipation on its own, but it pairs well with other approaches to target the bloating side of the equation.
Red Flags Worth Knowing About
Most constipation and bloating is functional, meaning it’s caused by diet, lifestyle, or how the gut communicates with the brain. But certain symptoms alongside constipation signal something that needs medical evaluation: blood in your stool or rectal bleeding, unintentional weight loss, unexplained anemia, a sudden change in bowel habits without a clear cause (especially a new pencil-thin stool shape), persistent pain that worsens over time, or a family history of colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. If you’re over 45 and haven’t had colorectal cancer screening, new constipation is a reason to schedule one.