a substance which promotes bowel movements Laxatives are divided into those that work by providing bulk, those that stimulate the production of bile in the liver and its release from the gallbladder, and those which directly trigger peristalsis
A laxative food or medicine is one that you take to make you go to the toilet. The artificial sweetener sorbitol has a laxative effect Molasses are mildly laxative and something of a general tonic. a medicine or something that you eat which makes your bowels empty easily (laxativus, from laxare , from laxus; LAX). Substance that promotes defecation. These include irritants (stimulants) such as cascara sagrada and castor oil, bulk formers such as bran and psyllium, saline laxatives such as Epsom salts or milk of magnesia, glycerin, lubricants such as mineral oil and some vegetable oils, and stool softeners. A high-fibre diet is more important than laxatives in correcting simple intestinal constipation