Therapy for chronic constipation with plant laxatives

n t ro d u c t i o n: Man has been plagued by chronic c o n s t i p ation and other digestionr e l ated problems for more than 7 000 ye a rs or at least ever since we stopped feeding solely on berries, roots and grains, but turned to a wide va riety of m e at products (3). Constipation is still an important problem today, plaguing modern society more than e ver, because approx i m ately one-fifth of all adults suffer from chronic constipation (24). In general terms, c o n s t i p ation has been defined as the d e l ayed eva c u ation of dry, hard stools (20). Constipation per se is diagnosed if no bowel movement occurs for three or more days and if this i rr e g u l a rity persists for more than six months (14, 19).