Editorial Policy — How We Rate Foods

Every rating on this site is produced by a fixed, published rule set applied to USDA FoodData Central nutrition data. No food is rated manually, and no rating is influenced by advertisers (we currently have none).

The rating system. Fiber density is the primary driver (green ≥ 3 g/100 g, yellow 1-3 g, red below 1 g). Water, fat and sodium adjust the rating up or down. A dedicated sugar screen flags sweetened foods, and keyword-based processing rules catch fried, refined and cured items. Foods with strong clinical evidence — prunes, kiwifruit, oats, psyllium, rye bread — are uprated directly; persimmon is downrated for tannin risk.

Data quality. Foods with missing USDA fiber data are labeled as such rather than guessed. Values shown are per 100 g to keep foods comparable.

Clinical anchors. NIDDK eating guidance for constipation; AGA clinical guidance; King's College London 2025 dietary management of constipation guideline (75 RCTs).

What we are not. We are a data editorial team — not physicians or registered dietitians. Nothing on this site is medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Content is reviewed against the published rule set and updated when the underlying data or guidelines change. Corrections: see our contact page.

This website is informational only and based on public data from USDA FoodData Central and published nutrition research. It is maintained by the Diet for Constipation data editorial team — not medical professionals. Nothing here is medical advice; consult a qualified healthcare provider about persistent constipation or any health condition.