The Senna Herb And Modern Constipation Remedies
The senna laxative is an herbal that is derived from the plantago genus of plants. Its use has been documented for centuries and perhaps even thousands of years. Historically the leaves were either chewed or seeped in hot water to make a tea beverage. Senna is high in anthraquinones which are known to induce bowel movements. However, the caveat is that because it is an herbal supplement the production of senna is not regulated.
Senna laxative comes in various forms. Traditionally it has either been chewed or brewed into a tea but nowadays it can be found in tablet form for easy, measured consumption. There are a number of companies that produce it and a simple search should find several.
Another thing to watch out for is that there may be side effects associated with taking senna. These side effects have been known to be severe, such as stomach pains and diarrhea. If one notices mild side effects that accompany a small dose, then one should probably not take any more of the medication.
Senna is not alone in the natural treatments for constipation that are available for use.
In fact, a first tactic of natural care management that even a primary care doctor may bring up is maximizing dietary fiber. It involves eating a lot of common foods that are high in fiber. The drawback to this therapy is that the amount of fiber intake must be large. Eating all the excess food makes one feel bloated and full, and even cause some stomach problems such as gas.
What if taking all this fiber is inconvenient or does not work? The alternative is to give high fiber supplements a shot. Extracted from particular plant matter like the plantago, these nutritional agents come in powder mixtures and can be dissolved with liquids to form a drinkable solution. Primary care givers point out that the trial period granted for this kind of fiber-rich therapy usually demands about two weeks for its entire effectiveness to kick in.
Lastly, there are different classes of laxatives are available to patients with constipation. The best examples of classes of these agents are the osmotic laxatives which effect alterations in water uptake, and stimulant laxatives which seem to impact colonic muscle movement. Osmotic agents draw liquid out of the surrounding cells into the gastrointestinal passage which promotes speed-up of transit of food matter. Stimulant agents make the intestine increase its activity.
Extra resources provided for natural laxative agents can be found here. Come to our site on laxative senna to discover the most up-to-date ideas.
July 22 2010 03:12 pm | herbal remedies