Following are some of the home remedies for constipation. Each one of them is a proven effective home remedy for constipation.

Chew Well before Swallowing
Chewing well makes the food easily digestible. The saliva gets well mixed with the food. The process of chewing also results in the proper movement of the intestines. Old persons often suffer from constipation on account their inability to chew well. Some of mashed food and products of refined flour do not require chewing because of which they cause constipation.

Wheat and rice are generally used as the principal ingredients of food. Rice should be used in its unpolished form and wheat should not be divested of it testa (outer skin). Between rice and wheat, the latter is more useful for a patient suffering from constipation. Barley, maize, jwar (Sorghum vulgare) and bajra (Pennisetum glaucum) are very useful for patients suffering from constipation. Oatmeal and brown bread made of the flour of buckwheat (fermented and germinated) are very useful.
Preparations of wheat flour such as macaroni, sphagetti, biscuits, cakes and pancakes do not help those suffering from chronic constipation and piles.

Vegetables
To prevent and cure constipation and piles one should take more vegetables, especially leafy vegetables such as spinach, metht (Fenugreek) both during lunch and dinner. Potatoes, cauliflower, colocacia (arbi), jackfruit, yellow pumpkin and lady's finger (okra) are not useful. They cause constipation and gas formation in the abdomen. But bitter gourd, patola (Trichosamthes dioica), kunduru (Coccinia indica), brinjal, cabbage, carrot, green papaya, green plantain, white pumpkin, surara (Amorphophallus campanulatus), drumstick, capsicum, tomato, beetroot, zucchini and broccoli .are very useful.

Regular use of green vegetables in the form of salads is very useful.

Siirana is very useful

SuralJfl or zimikanda (Amorphophallus campanulatus) a kind of yam is very useful when cooked as a vegetable and also when used as a medicine. This underground corm is used as a vegetable in different regions. Boiled and mashed surana is very useful when eaten as a vegetable. In order to correct its irritating property, while boiling, a little tamarind juice is often added. Details of these are described in the concerned monograph. It is useful both for constipation and piles.

Meat and Fish

Non-vegetarian food such as meat, fish and eggs are constipative. Eggs are very constipative. Sea-fish or salt water-fish, particularly prawns are very constipative.
Persons suffering from constipation should avoid them as far as possible. More vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables are useful in both preventing and curing constipation and piles.
Pulses Cause Constipation
Vegetarians depend mostly upon pulses and legumes such as mung (Phaseola{ mungo), m(j_ (Phaseola radiatus), rtijamti_e (Vigna cYlindrica), canaka (Cicer arientinum) and arhar (Cajanus cajan) for their nourish­ment (protein requirement). All these pulses, except mung, are wind forming and constipative. To make them whole­some, ghee, garlic, ginger and asafoetida should be added while cooking.

Fried Food to be Strictly Avoided
Fried and deep-fried food preparations though extremely tasty are harmful for the liver and difficult to digest. The intestines normally do not allow undigested food Particles to move to the colon. Sluggishness of the liver also affects digestion and prevents proper movement of the intestines and the colon leading eventually to constipation and piles.

Fats

Animal fats and vegetable oils are extensively used all over the world for their nutritive value. These are used as such or added to vegetables and food preparations while cooking. Among animal fats, butter and ghee prepared from cow's milk are more useful than others. Among vegetable oils, sesame oil is the best for a normal individual. Groundnut oil is extremely harmful. Now-a-days, in deve­loped countries, people suffer from excessive cholesterol in the blood. This is essentially a metabolic disorder. But without understanding the root cause, people use more groundnut oil as a cooking medium, which of course contains less cholesterol. It, however, makes the liver sluggish and leads to constipation, piles and flatulence. Therefore, to prevent and cure constipation, one should use ghee or butter or vegetable oils such as sesame oil, mustard oil and coconut oil in food and in cooking food preparations.