A healthy herbal way to unblock the bowels

People suffering from serious constipation may get some relief from a Chinese herbal medicine consisting of hemp seeds and other herbs, a new study finds.

Participants who took 7.5 grams of hemp seed pills (HSP) twice a day, consisting of six different herbs, reported some improvements in their symptoms of constipation and fared better than people taking a placebo pill.

"We believe HSP works to alleviate constipation," says study author Dr Bian Zhaoxiang of Hong Kong Baptist University.