In the 2005 movie "Wedding Crashers," John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) cruise weddings (without invitations) to find dates. That is, until John falls for one bride's sister, Claire.

To steal her away from her boyfriend, named Sack (really!), John puts medicated eye-drops into Sack’s wine, producing a laxative effect that leaves him stuck in the bathroom for a whole evening.

John takes the opportunity to bond with Claire.

Laxatives, used correctly and as a medical necessity, can provide welcome relief from constipation.

Depending on the cause of your constipation, it may even be safe to take a low-dose laxative under medical supervision for quite a while. But often, they can be harmful.

The European Food Safety Authority recently warned that long-term use of a plant substance called hydroxyanthracenes, found in laxatives such as senna and rhubarb extract, could cause DNA damage.

It also has been linked to cancer in animal studies.

Abuse of any laxative has serious health risks. Longer-term use or taking high doses regularly (for constipation or as an unwise weight-loss trick) can put you at risk for nutritional deficiencies and kidney damage.

For occasional constipation, natural relief comes from:

• Drinking lots of water

• The CRAP diet: cranberries, raisins, apricots, and prunes

• Eating high-fiber foods and avoiding fast and processed foods, dairy, and red meat

• Getting plenty of exercise (10,000 steps a day or the equivalent)

In addition, through biofeedback sensors and monitors (in your doctor's office), you can learn how to control muscles responsible for your bowel movements.