A laxative is defined as,

A substance that is used to promote a bowel movement when you are constipated.

Laxatives work by starting and stimulating peristaltic action. Peristaltic action is a wave like movement that occurs throughout your gastrointestinal tract - esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon - that helps move your food into your stomach, through your intestines, through your colon, and out your rectum.

There are drugstore products, natural occurring foods, special nutrients, liquid preparations, herbal substances, and homeopathic liquids that have laxative effects. I do not recommend using drugstore laxatives or any other form of drugs to clear a constipation problem.

All my recommendations are for using natural foods, minerals, special nutrients, or herbal products. And some of these natural methods should also be used only for the time it takes to clear your constipation.

Recommendation: You should use Drugstore laxatives or drug laxatives only under Doctors recommendations.

There are no safe drugstore laxatives. These laxatives are habit-forming and work by desensitizing your colon. Their use can irritate nerves and muscles along the intestinal lining, interfere with digestion and adsorption, cause cramps, deplete fluids, and create other physical internal problems.

Laxatives can enlarge and seriously damage your colon when used for a longtime. Eventually, after continual use, you will not be able to have a bowel movement without using them.

If you have been using laxatives for a long time, you will have to retrain your colon to activate peristaltic action. This training will have to be done under the care of a medical practitioner. If you are tempted to use drugstore laxatives remember that,

Laxatives bought in drugstores are of questionable safety. Because of the action these laxatives have on the small intestine and colon, doctors and other health practitioners recommend their limited use since they,

* have chemical side effects that affect your health

* produce an active force that can damage nerves that control the muscles in your colon walls

* desensitizes your colon so your natural peristaltic action is reduced

* become habit-forming

* rush food through your intestines so it does not digest and absorb nutrients or minerals properly

* kill friendly bacteria, unless they are fiber foods

* contain preservative, coloring, and other additives that are unhealthy.

* Remove excessive fluids and electrolytes from your body.

Recommendation: Never use a laxative, Drugstore or Natural, when you have acute abdominal pain, especially if the pain is on the lower right hand side, where the appendix is located. See your doctor right away.

Using Laxatives for the wrong reason can be life threatening.

If you use drugstore laxative, use them for just the time needed to clear your constipation. Then starting looking at what it takes to stop your constipation from occurring.