Three fall fruits that dietitians say can ease constipation — and how to eat them

When constipation strikes, most people reach for a laxative — but a registered dietitian says the produce aisle may be the better first stop, provided you know which fruits to pick and how to eat them.

Laura Ali, RDN, a culinary nutritionist based in Pittsburgh, points to three fruits as particularly effective: pears, prunes, and berries. Each works through a different mechanism, and all three happen to be at peak season in autumn.

Pears top Ali's list. A medium pear delivers fiber — both soluble fiber in the flesh and insoluble fiber in the skin — along with fructose and sorbitol, which together create a mild natural laxative effect.

Pears, especially with the skin on them, are a great source of fiber, both soluble and insoluble.— Laura Ali, RDN, culinary nutritionist

Eating a pear with the skin on can add bulk to your stool, helping keep you regular.— Laura Ali, RDN, culinary nutritionist

For those who don't enjoy pears, Ali recommends apples or berries as alternatives. Berries — particularly blackberries and raspberries — deliver insoluble fiber in the seeds promoting gut movement and polyphenols that may help reduce inflammation.

Prunes are Ali's second core recommendation. She advises eating four to five in a single serving and notes they are versatile enough to stir into cereal, yogurt, salads, grain bowls, or baked goods. For people who dislike prunes, she suggests figs or avocados.

They are sweet and can be added to cereal or yogurt, salads, grain bowls, or baked goods.— Laura Ali, RDN, culinary nutritionist

The critical caveat with all of these fruits is water. Ali explains that fiber and compounds like sorbitol and fructose work by drawing fluid into the gastrointestinal tract — which means they can backfire badly if a person is already dehydrated.

As fiber and foods with sorbitol and fructose move through your GI tract, they pull fluid in. If you aren't drinking enough water, your GI tract won't have enough to work with, and this may cause further constipation.— Laura Ali, RDN, culinary nutritionist

Ali recommends aiming for at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily alongside any increase in fiber intake. She also notes that lack of fluids is itself one of the contributing factors for constipation, and that nondigestible sugars in fruit 'add liquid to the stool, softening it and making it easier for you to pass.'

On laxatives: Ali says increasing fiber and fluids — along with more physical movement — should come before reaching for a laxative. If someone does use one, she flags that products like Metamucil pull fluid into the GI tract and can worsen constipation if the person isn't drinking enough.

If you do decide to try a laxative, you must make sure you are drinking plenty of fluid. Some laxatives, like Metamucil, pull fluid into your GI tract, and without enough liquid, they can further aggravate constipation.— Laura Ali, RDN, culinary nutritionist

Ali also recommends keeping a food diary to track which fruits are making a noticeable difference. Improvement may not be immediate: it can take a couple of days to see a change after adding these fruits. If there has been no bowel movement after three days of increasing fruit and fluid intake, she says, it is time to call a doctor.

Why it matters — Constipation affects many people and these practical, food-first strategies — with a clear water warning — give readers an actionable starting point before turning to medication.

Reported by eatingwell.com, health.com, everydayhealth.com