Chocolate Makes Me Poop

Chocolate Makes Me Poop • Why & What You Can Do •

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Funnily enough, all food makes you poop in some way or another. We eat it, our body digests it, and then we poop out the waste. It’s a very efficient model that, of course, includes chocolate as well. So why are we here? Well, because we’re not talking about chocolate making us poop that way. We’re talking about chocolate making us poop soon after we’ve eaten it – long before it’s even had a chance to be digested. Why does this happen, and what can we do about it? Let’s find out, shall we?

So, why does chocolate make me poop? Chocolate can make you poop due to certain compounds it contains; caffeine, fiber, magnesium, and milk. These compounds all have a relaxing effect on the digestive tract – which will, in turn, advance your bowel movements. Alternatively, it could indicate intolerance to an ingredient, likely lactose.

It’s actually a pretty normal response, even more so if you opt for a richer type of chocolate, such as dark. 

We’ll get into more on this later, but first, let’s continue to explore these aforementioned reasons in greater detail to get a better understanding of why our bodies react in this particular way.

Why Does Chocolate Make You Poop?

Chocolate can make you poop because it can be high in caffeine, high in magnesium, high in fiber, or you are lactose intolerant.

Let’s start with the normal reasons chocolate can make you poop. 

There are four main compounds to talk about here. 

Caffeine, fiber, magnesium, and sugar. So, let’s start with…

Caffeine 

If you’re a coffee drinker, then you’ll know what I’m talking about here. 

Whenever you ingest caffeine, whether it be through a cup of coffee or a chocolate bar, you will probably need to go for a poop soon after.

Why? Well, caffeine increases what is referred to as the ‘rate of motility.’ 

Motility is the contraction of muscles in your digestive tract, which will encourage your body’s bowel movements. Which, if you don’t know by now, will make you need to poop.

So the more chocolate with caffeine you eat, the higher your rate of motility will be, and the more urgently you’ll need to go to poop!

Chocolate doesn’t have anywhere near as much caffeine in it as coffee does. So you’d have to eat a lot of chocolate to get the same rate of motility that coffee produces.

But there’s still enough caffeine in chocolate for it to have some impact on your bowel movements all by itself.

Don’t overdo it because too much chocolate can potentially give you…well…the runs. 

Because caffeine isn’t the only ingredient/compound in chocolate that will make you poop, there is also…

Magnesium

It’s worth pointing out that chocolate should not be used for constipation relief. It’s not a healthy way to do it, trust me.

You may read that chocolate contains magnesium and think that that means you can use it for constipation relief just because magnesium sounds scientific and healthy. But I strongly advise against it. 

However, with that being said, magnesium is another one of the main reasons why chocolate makes you poop. 

Remember when we talked about the muscles in your dietary tract? Well, magnesium will help relax them. If these muscles are relaxed, then you’ll need to poop!

Don’t be alarmed! This does not mean that magnesium is going to give you diarrhea. It is NOT a laxative.

Just a nice, friendly little compound that will relax you and make you go for a poop.

Fiber

The final compound is fiber. You’ve probably heard people talk about how good fiber is for your digestive system. And that’s because it is!

Fiber helps transport food through your digestive tract.

It is vital that you eat enough fiber to avoid constipation and ensure your bowel movements are moving along nicely.

The more fiber you eat, the healthier your digestive system will be.

Chocolate often contains fiber. 

If you eat a chocolate bar that contains at least 11 grams of fiber in it, then you’ll probably be pooping in no time, especially when you add in the caffeine and the magnesium as well!

Sugar

Chocolate contains an abundance of sugar, particularly milk and white chocolate. That’s what makes them taste so damn sweet.

When ingested, sugar will stimulate your stomach so that it releases water and electrolytes. 

These will then loosen your bowel movements. So you’ll need to poop, just to clarify.

The more sugar you eat, the looser your bowel movements will get.

If you eat too much and they get too loose, then you risk experiencing diarrhea. 

Lactose Intolerance

Now for a more serious cause. 

Lots of people out there are lactose intolerant; they can’t digest lactose.

If you don’t know what that is, lactose is a natural sugar found in milk products.

And what does most chocolate contain? Yes, you guessed it. MILK! That’s how chocolate gets its smooth, creamy texture.

There are many symptoms of lactose intolerance, including bloating, gas, stomach cramps, and… diarrhea, which is a form of pooping!

This might be the case with you, although I doubt it as you’re reading this, and most people who are lactose intolerant are diagnosed very early before they can read a detailed article like this. 

But if you’re concerned for your child that is pooping a lot after eating chocolate, then maybe it’s time to find out if they’re lactose intolerant. 

Overall, most of the time, chocolate makes you poop because it contains high amounts of caffeine, magnesium, and fiber.  

Will All Chocolate Make You Poop?

Most chocolate will make you poop – assuming you eat enough of it. Because what one chocolate may lack in terms of a particular poop-causing compound, it may contain another one instead. That being said, the more caffeine, magnesium, and fiber a chocolate contains, the more likely it will make you poop.

The chances are that whether it be milk chocolate or dark chocolate, one way or another, it’s going to make you poop.

Generally, chocolates will vary in terms of how much of each of those four compounds they contain. 

But dark chocolate is a big culprit.

Dark chocolate makes people poop mainly because it is rich in fiber. 

They even say that the darker the chocolate, the more fiber inside it. And we all know what that does to our digestive systems.

It also contains magnesium. Again, we know what that will do!

And a rule of thumb usually is that the higher the cocoa content, the more caffeine there is in it. So dark chocolate contains a lot of cocoa content and thus a lot of caffeine. 

Guilty as charged once again, dark chocolate will make you poop. It contains all three of those poop-generating ingredients/compounds.

Don’t think that other chocolates are off the hook. Milk chocolate and white chocolate are higher in sugar. Once again, we all know what that does to our digestive system.

And if you or your young one is eating a chocolate containing milk, then that’s going to make them poop as well.

So pretty much every chocolate is going to make you poop one way or another.

Chocolates that are low in caffeine, magnesium, fiber, and sugar will give you the best chance of not needing to rush to the bathroom after your chocolate snack break.

How To Enjoy Chocolate Without Having To Poop

You can increase your chances of enjoying chocolate without having to poop if you limit consumption, eat around meal times, don’t drink coffee at the same time, and avoid dark chocolate. 

Limit Consumption

The more chocolate you eat, the more of the ingredients that cause you to poop you’ll be putting into your digestive system.

So don’t eat too much, and you won’t have to worry about an inconvenient poop arising…or falling… that’s a more appropriate phrase.

You also should limit your intake of certain ingredients like caffeine, as too much of this is bad for you.

So limiting consumption is never a bad idea, whichever way you look at it.

Eat Around Meal Times

This tip ties in with the one above. If you eat a meal, then you’ll have less room in your stomach for chocolate.

So, if you eat chocolate after a meal, you then risk overindulging.

Trust me, I know that once you start, it’s harder to stop. But I also know that if you’re already full from a nutritious meal, then it’s harder to overindulge.

Don’t Drink Coffee…

…or any other foods and drinks that will also contribute to the stimulation of your bowel movements at the same time.

Those high in caffeine, sugar, magnesium, and fiber will do it.

You’ll be adding fuel to the fire.

Avoid Dark Chocolate 

We established earlier that dark chocolate contains lots of all the compounds/ingredients that make you poop.

It is the worst type of chocolate for making you need to poop.

So if you don’t want to poop after eating chocolate, then don’t eat dark chocolate. 

For some of you, this might not be a big deal!

Finally

You’ve got to poop at some point.

If you eat chocolate, it’s probably going to make you poop a lot sooner than your digestive system had originally planned for.

Chocolate contains these compounds that will make you poop. It’s just the reality.

But dark chocolate is the biggest chocolate-pooper!

Noticed other reactions when eating chocolate? Then my other guides may be of help: