Raisin Bran for Constipation: Benefits and Downsides
Diet & NutritionFood & Ingredients

Can Raisin Bran Help Constipation?

Can Raisin Bran Help Constipation?
Lauri Patterson/iStock; Everyday Health
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Updated on August 7, 2025
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Bowel regularity is more of an individual experience than a collective one. One person might get rid of solid waste once or twice a day, while another might have the urge to eliminate just once every couple of days.

Constipation — or the inability to easily and frequently pass stools — is the leading digestive complaint in the United States.

 Eating high-fiber, whole-grain cereals like raisin bran can help relieve constipation as part of a diet that includes more fiber.

Raisin Bran Provides Excellent Fiber Content

As with any processed food, the amount of fiber you'll get from a serving of raisin bran cereal depends on how producers made it. Cereals made mostly with whole-grain wheat and wheat bran are usually higher in fiber than those that also include refined wheat flour or other types of whole grains. Dried fruit, such as raisins, is also high in fiber.

A 1-cup (59-gram) serving of raisin bran generally provides close to 200 calories and differing fiber servings. For example, Post’s raisin bran product provides 8.08 grams (g) of fiber.

 Malt-O-Meal’s raisin bran cereal, on the other hand, offers up 6.02 g of fiber in the same serving.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommended daily value for fiber is 28 g, meaning that these servings provide around 21.5 to 28.5 percent of your daily needs, depending on the product.

 Required fiber intake varies by age and sex, with females needing 28 g and males needing 34 g.

Even those with lower fiber content provide an excellent amount of your daily fiber needs as part of a diet in which you’re eating plenty other high-fiber foods, including:

  • Whole grains and whole-grain products, such as bread, pasta, bran muffins, and other whole-grain cereals
  • High-fiber fruits, including apples, berries, dried fruit
  • High-fiber veggies, including broccoli, cabbage, potatoes with skins, yams, and Brussels sprouts
  • Granola
  • Nuts
  • Peas
  • Seeds, including sunflower or pumpkin seeds
  • Trail mix
  • Unsweetened popcorn

The Digestive Effects of Insoluble Fiber Intake

Raisin bran’s potentially positive effects on constipation come not only from the amount of fiber but also the type of fiber. The wheat bran in raisin bran comes from the fiber-dense outer layer of wheat. In whole-wheat products and cereals, this remains, whereas refined products remove all parts of the wheat apart from the middle part, known as the endosperm. This doesn’t provide as much fiber.

The dietary fiber in cereals is mostly insoluble, and wheat bran has a particularly high concentration of insoluble fiber. This type of fiber binds with water as it moves through your digestive tract and moves waste material through your intestines more efficiently. In short, it can make poops easier to pass.

Added Sugar in Raisin Bran

Eating raisin bran may be an effective, convenient way to get your bowels moving, but it's not necessarily your healthiest option.

Cereals are a significant source of sugar in the Western diet, and it's not unusual to get around 20 g of sugar from a serving of raisin bran. In the products above, for example, Post’s raisin bran provides 19.4 g of sugar.

 Malt-O-Meal provides 19.5 g.

To put that amount into perspective, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recommends avoiding any cereal that contains more than 5 percent of your recommended daily sugar serving.

 According to the FDA, who put the daily value at 50 g of sugar, this means eating less than 2.5 g of sugar.

 So while the fiber in raisin bran is potentially helpful for constipation, the added sugar far exceeds what you should be aiming for in a breakfast cereal.

When it comes to sugar, you may be better off buying a low-sugar, high-fiber bran cereal and topping it with two tablespoons of raisins.

What Else Can You Do to Support Regular Bowel Movements?

Fiber-rich cereals are one part of an approach to increasing dietary fiber. And while getting enough fiber is a key recommendation for both the treatment and prevention of constipation, it’s not the whole picture.

Your overall health, level of physical activity, and diet are the main factors in achieving regular bowel movements. You should also drink plenty of fluids, especially if you increase your fiber intake.

Trying to poop at the same time every day, such as 15 to 45 minutes after breakfast, might also promote training your bowels to move regularly. Go to the bathroom as soon as you feel the urge, and try to relax your muscles when you do.

Some medications or dietary supplements you take to manage other health problems may also contribute to constipation, so talk to a doctor if this is causing major discomfort. They may be able to recommend an alternative.

A healthcare professional might also suggest using an over-the-counter laxative for a brief period to support more regular bowel movements. These might include:

  • Fiber supplements, including Citrucel, FiberCon, Metamucil
  • Osmotic agents, such as milk of magnesia or Miralax
  • Stool softeners, like Colace or Docusate
  • Lubricants, including mineral oil
  • Stimulants, such as Dulcolax or Correctol
A stimulant is only recommended after other treatments haven’t worked or in cases of severe constipation. Talk to a doctor if you feel like you can’t pass stools without taking laxatives as they may need to recommend other medications or procedures.

The Takeaway

  • Eating high-fiber cereal like raisin bran can support constipation relief due to its significant insoluble fiber contribution. This helps waste move more smoothly through the intestines.
  • While raisin bran may support bowel regularity, it's high in sugar content. Consider choosing a low-sugar, high-fiber bran cereal and adding natural ingredients like raisins for sweetness.
  • Alongside eating fiber-rich foods, maintaining a healthy lifestyle — being physically active, staying hydrated, and setting regular bathroom habits — can promote regular bowel movements.
  • If constipation is severe or chronic, consult a healthcare professional who might suggest alternative treatments or diagnose health issues that could be contributing to the problem.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Frequent Bowel Movements. Cleveland Clinic. June 2, 2024.
  2. Constipation. University of California San Francisco Health.
  3. High-Fiber Foods. National Cancer Institute. October 15, 2024.
  4. Cereals Ready-to-Eat, POST Raisin Bran Cereal. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
  5. Cereals Ready-to-Eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Raisin Bran Cereal. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
  6. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. March 5, 2024.
  7. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. December 2020.
  8. Fiber Facts: Why Fiber Is Important. Kaiser Permanente. April 2020.
  9. Wang L et al. Soluble and Insoluble Dietary Fiber at Different Ratios: Hydration Characteristics, Rheological Properties, and Ameliorative Effects on Constipation. Food Chemistry: X. November 13, 2024.
  10. Added Sugar. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. April 2022.
  11. Treatment for Constipation. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. May 2018.
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