Psyllium is a form of fiber made from the Plantago ovata plant, specifically from the husks of the plantâs seed.It sometimes goes by the name ispaghula. Itâs most commonly known as a laxative. Psyllium provides more benefits to your body than decreasing the amount of time you spend in the bathroom.umerous studies have shown that fiber like psyllium, as part of a healthy diet, can help lower a personâs risk of heart disease. Psyllium can affect your heart by lowering blood pressure, improving lipid levels, and strengthening heart muscle.
Castor Oil. While it's not exactly a food, pregnant women have ingested castor oil to induce labor for centuries. The oil is extracted from the bean of the castor plant. Research studying the efficacy of castor oil as a labor inducer is inconclusive; though some women swear it helped stimulate their contractions.
Inducing labor usually starts with taking prostaglandins as pills or applying them inside the vagina near the cervix. Sometimes this is enough to start contractions. If that's not enough to induce labor, the next step is Pitocin, a man-made form of the hormone oxytocin. It stimulates uterine contractions.