Avocado can make you poop. It improves bowel movement, adds volume, and makes the stools gelatinous. Certain compounds in avocado have beneficial effects on constipation:
- fiber
- water
- electrolytes
- monounsaturated fats
- magnesium
- carotenoids
- omega-3s
Avocado can make you poop due to its high fiber content
Many people have constipation problems. It’s estimated that 10.2% of women and 4% of men have a difficult time to defecate.
Although there are many causes of constipation, not consuming enough fiber is one of the most common causes! Adequate amounts of fiber can relieve mild to moderate constipation symptoms! It can even make toddlers poop. Kids usually eat less fiber than the minimum required amount.
Avocado is particularly rich in fiber. A medium serving of half a Hass avocado provides 16% of the Daily Value (DV).
Actually, there are 2 types of fiber in avocado. Soluble fiber absorbs water, making stools gelatinous. On the other hand, insoluble fiber has a bulking action. They’re both beneficial for defecation.
A standard Western diet is poor in fiber, though. Animal, processed, and refined foods have negligible amounts of fiber. On the contrary, eating fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains can make you poop if you don’t consume enough fiber.
But, you shouldn’t instantly increase your fiber intake. Switching to a fiber-rich diet may worsen constipation issues! You should gradually switch from a low-fiber diet to a high-fiber diet. You’ll probably need a couple of months to adjust to a high-fiber diet. The easiest way to boost your daily fiber intake is to start eating more fruits, such as avocados!
The regular consumption of avocado may help you:[1]
- have a healthier digestive system
- prevent constipation by improving bowel movement
- improve the microflora of the intestines
The best time to eat avocado is between meals, or at brunch. Avocado is good for weight loss. Also, it may improve sleep quality!
Proper hydration is crucial for constipation
Furthermore, you should always be well hydrated to reduce the risk of constipation. Dehydration is a common cause of constipation as well. It significantly affects volume, weight, consistency, and ease of passage of the stool. Avocado may help you poop, as it has a high water content.[2,3]
Consuming fruits or drinking fruit juices is a great way to hydrate the body. Actually, fruits are natural water filters. They contain high-quality water.
Furthermore, fruits are rich in electrolytes. For proper hydration, we have to replenish both lost fluids and electrolytes! Electrolytes regulate fluid balance and bowel movement. Avocado is one of the richest foods in potassium and iron!
Hence, eating fruits, such as avocados, oranges, watermelons, mangoes, pomegranates etc. might help you poop! Fruit juices low in sugars, such as lemon and blueberry juice, may help treat constipation as well.
Monounsaturated fats in avocados may help you poop!
Another common cause of constipation is the high consumption of saturated fatty acids! Consuming more than 30 grams of saturated fats a day can significantly increase the risk of constipation![4]
According to the American Heart Association, we shouldn’t consume more than 13 grams of saturated fats a day. Higher doses may raise LDL cholesterol and increase the risk for heart disease and stroke.[5]
Foods from animal sources are the richest sources of saturated fat. Hence, high doses of meat and dairy may lead to constipation.[6]
So, replacing foods high in saturated fats with avocado, which is the richest fruit in monounsaturated fats, might make you poop!
Magnesium in avocado is good for constipation
Furthermore, avocado may make you poop because it’s particularly high in magnesium. Magnesium may be effective for improving defecation status and shortening colonic transit time in people with mild to moderate constipation symptoms.[7]
Carotenoids in avocado may make you poop!
Additionally, avocado may help you poop, as it’s particularly high in lutein and zeaxanthin! Actually, avocado has the highest lutein content than other common fruits. Try to peel avocado as close to the skin as possible. The dark green flesh close to the peel contains the highest concentration of lutein and other carotenoids.
High intake of lutein and zeaxanthin seems to lower the incidence of constipation.[8]
Furthermore, you better add avocado to salads. Avocado can increase the bioavailability of carotenoids multifold! Greens are excellent sources of carotenoids as well. So, combining them with avocado boosts your carotenoid intake!
Omega-3s in avocado are good for constipation
In addition, avocado is an excellent source of omega-3s. Omega-3s may have a beneficial effect on mild constipation issues. They act as natural lubricants and may improve bowel movement. In fact, a diet low in omega-3s may increase the risk of irritable bowel syndrome.[9]
Can avocado help babies & toddlers poop?
Kids with constipation don’t defecate periodically. Moreover, they may not have smooth or bulky stools. Also, they may experience pain during defecation.
The frequency of defecation depends on the child’s age. In the neonatal period and early infancy, defecation occurs even more than 4 times a day. It progressively decreases to 1-2 per day at the age of 4 years.[10]
Is constipation common in children?
Kids with constipation have delayed defecation or a hard time to poop that persists for longer than two weeks. In fact, it is one of the ten most frequent pathological conditions that general pediatricians deal with!
Furthermore, only a small percentage of children has an organic cause of constipation. About 95% of constipation cases have a functional cause. Common causes of constipation in kids are:
- increased body weight
- reduced physical activity
- poor diet
- low-fiber intake
- psychological factors
For instance, toddlers may try to avoid an unpleasant defecation. Actually, the peak incidence of constipation occurs between 2 and 4 years of age. It’s when they learn to go to the bathroom by themselves.
Low-fiber intakes may cause constipation in kids
Kids should eat foods rich in fiber. Adequate amounts of fiber significantly lowers the risk of developing constipation![11]
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children older than 3 years old should get (age + 5) grams of fiber a day. So, a 5-year-old kid should consume at least 10 grams of fiber a day.[12]
Furthermore, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the “age plus 5 grams” formula is highly unlikely to cause any adverse effect on vitamin or mineral concentrations in healthy children following a well-balanced diet. Thus, a moderate increase in fiber for children is more likely to be healthful than harmful.[13]
Unfortunately, most kids and adolescents fail to meet existing recommendations of fiber.[14]
Therefore, it’s highly recommended for toddlers to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains!
Avocado is an excellent fruit for preventing or treating functional constipation, due to its high fiber content.
