Folk Medicines for Constipation

QUESTION: I think my Mexican neighbors have a great way to treat
constipation. Do you know of it and what do you think of it?
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ANSWER: Almost every ethnic group in our country has folk medicines for
common illnesses. Although some folk medicines are often rooted in
superstition, some are based on centuries of experience with certain
conditions. Some folk medicines are useless and some may be dangerous since
they interfere with more practical medical care, but some can be beneficial
and your Mexican neighbors have a couple.
Many Mexicans refer to the symptoms of constipation as empacho, or
blocked intestine, and it is believed to be due to food that is stuck to the
wall of the intestines caused by eating improperly cooked food or eating
certain foods at the wrong time of the day. Symptoms of empacho include
diarrhea, indigestion, vomiting, and loss of appetite. In mainstream
medicine, these conditions may be due to infections, lack of fiber in the
diet, or other causes, not just to an intestinal blockage.
Common folk medicines for empacho include drinking mint tea or chamomile
tea or taking small doses of olive or other vegetable oil. Mint and chamomile
tea are both useful in soothing indigestion and nausea, and drinking any
liquid helps relieve constipation. Vegetable oil will also relieve
constipation within a few hours.
The only potentially dangerous folk medicines for empacho are remedies
known as azarcon and greta. These compounds frequently contain lead oxide
that is poisonous.