Green Tea May Make You Poop
What comes to your mind after having a big hearty meal?
Surely the Green Tea, for digesting the food you consumed!
While it does have tons of other health benefits. Green tea is generally known for relieving digestive issues like gas, stomach pain, bloating and easing digestion.
There is limited research on whether green tea make you poop or not.
We have gathered the information for you to find out and decide for yourself. We know what condition brought you to this article.
Is it a Folktale that Green Tea Make You Poop?
Are you sipping a cup of green tea while scrolling through this article in search of answers? Wait for a second, first answer this. Did you hear from your great-grandma that green tea will make you poop? We thought so!
Let us answer this: Caffeine in green tea may promote bowel activity in your stomach but green tea does not have any laxative effect on your system. So don’t expect to have a bowel moment any time soon.
While you are waiting, meanwhile you can go through this whole article for more bowel-related stuff.
Is Green Tea a Laxative?
Green tea doesn’t have laxative qualities like coffee do. The reason is that coffee has about 100mg of caffeine in a cup while green tea has little amount of around 15-60mg.
On the other hand, green tea is a stimulant, it may make you pee more and clear your system this way.
Why Does Green Tea Make Me Poop?
This might seem like a contradictory statement with the research that was discussed earlier. But it’s a funny fact that green tea does make some people poop. Is this psychological?
We don’t think so! Few factors may help you go after consuming green tea.
3 Factors That May Help to Make You Poop After Having Green Tea:
The factors are as follows:
1) The Caffeine Factor
The caffeine in your cup of green tea stimulates the colon in the stomach, this pushes food further to the sphincter. Thus, makes the process of poop easier. Caffeine also sends a response to the brain that makes the kidneys stop the absorption of more water.
This in return forces the bladder to become full. Thus, caffeine also makes you pee a lot.
2) Vasodilator & Poop Factor
The vasodilation effects are caused by drinking warm water or liquid. This makes the blood vessels swell a little. Due to this the circulation increases and the body is benefitted from this process.
The tea has a vasodilator effect on the body due to another reason. It contains polyphenols that are created during the oxidation process that tea undergoes.
As a result, drinking green tea will make your blood vessels widen and it will also help in relaxing your pooping muscles. This helps in the process of you know what!
3) Cascara & Poop Factor-
Some tea has an ingredient called Cascara in them. Although you will not find it in any green teas directly.
But if your green tea is a blend of other herbal teas, it may be present there. This also may help in the poop factor, although there is not much evidence-based research on this.
Does Green Tea Make You Poop a Lot?
If your green tea has ample caffeine content then it may cause a laxative effect in the body.
Taking green tea in the morning may help you to encourage bowel movement. The time of taking green tea also matters.
For most people, it’s the first thing in the morning. So, try taking it at different times and see what time encourages your bowels.
While green tea may not make you poop a lot, drinking more than 2 cups may help with keeping you hydrated and help for this purpose.
Can Green Tea Stop a Lot of Poop?
If you are here with a query about diarrhea then you should go to the doctor and take the appropriate medicine.
Green Tea might not stop a lot of poops. But it does make your muscles smooth and relieve constipation.
It lubricates your internal intestines and includes moisture in waste. However, this may be a short-term treatment, for chronic constipation you need to take the other measures as well.
What About Green Tea Extracts or Supplements?
What are green tea supplements you may ask? No No there isn’t any supplement introduced just to make you poop. The wait is there? Let’s keep that discussion for another time.
Some of the beneficial compounds and extracts of green tea are taken and by the manufactures and made into capsules and supplements. People use these to get the benefits of green tea.
Green tea extracts contain epigallocatechin gallate which is full of antioxidants. These might be very useful but don’t contain any laxatives.
Check your supplements for caffeine if it is included then it might be good for making you poop if don’t then it might cause you constipation as green tea supplements are not in the form of fluids.
Does Drinking Green Tea Make Your Poop Black?
Noticing your poop change into black color may be worrisome to you. If you know that you previously started a new medicine or had changed in diet then it’s nothing to worry about.
Your system will get adjusted to the changes in a few days.
However. Sometimes it can be due to a medical condition. Black poop may be a sign of gastrointestinal tract bleeding.
This should never be ignored and treated by the doctor.
No research states that green tea makes your poop black. But other factors may.
Reasons That Make Your Poop Turn Black:
Following are the reasons to turn your feces black:
1) Anemia Pills and Supplement
Your poop may turn black due to starting iron supplements. This is normal. However, If you encounter a change in color of poop with nausea, heartburn, and vomiting then the medicine may not suit you.
2) Dark-Coloured Foods
Dark color food may be the cause of this. When you stop eating these foods the problem shouldn’t persist. These foods are beets, black licorice, cookies, grape juice, blueberries,
chocolate sandwich and cookies.
3) Ulcer That Bleeds
There is some open sore inside the stomach/small intestines. These are the most common things which can make your poop dark. Because when their sore bleeds it affects the color of poop.
4) Medicines That Contain Bismuth
Few medicines contain bismuth which is used to calm your tummy troubles. It will cure your upset stomach but may turn your feces black.
Its harmless side effect which does not stay longer. This also causes your tongue to become black as well.
The cause of concern is when after taking the drug your ears start ringing or you don’t get better after taking a bismuth tablet.
5) Esophageal and Gastric Cancers
Bleeding in the upper tracts like the stomach, esophagus, and duodenum can cause tarry poop.
This is a sign of gastric cancer. If you also have other symptoms like pain chest, swallowing issues, and loss of weight suddenly then get checked with the doctor.
Can Green Tea Make Your Poop Green?
Although the first thing to come to mind when you go to the washroom and do the deed might be green tea. Green teas are made of green leaves but to brew the tea, it takes only a little amount of green tea.
Drinking homemade green tea cannot make your poop turn green. The packaged processed green tea also does not change the color but if it does check the packaging for added colorings in the tea.
Reasons That Make Your Poop Turn Green:
Following reasons can turn your poop into green color:
1) A New Diet
A green tea stool may be because when you take a lot of green vegetables which include kale or spinach.
2) Artificial Colors
You might encounter green tea if your food has artificial food colors. Food dyes are often added to treats like ice-creams, candy floss, ice lollies, and certain drinks and juices.
3) Supplements
Sometimes iron supplements cause your poop to turn green.
4) Iron Overdose
Excessive intake of iron from other sources makes this happen too.
11 SIDE EFFECTS OF DRINKING TOO MUCH GREEN TEA
Green tea is safe for most people if consumed in limited amounts. Green tea extract applied short-term orally does not pose any harm to the skin as suggested by Bradley Pharmaceuticals, Veregen. Taking green tea orally is only beneficial to the body.
So, when does the problem arise?
People have different health conditions. One thing that suits someone may not be suitable for another. Also, if green tea is taken in excessive form, it may affect negatively. The side effects of drinking too much tea may pose the following effects:
1) Anemia
Drinking green tea more than 2 cups per day may lead to anemia. The compounds in green tea may interact with the absorption of iron in the body. It also happens when green tea is taken at the wrong time mostly along with food.
2) Anxiety
Caffeine in green tea may be the culprit for this disorder. Drinking tea may make anxiety worse for some people.
3) Sleeping Disorders
When you drink green tea later in the afternoon or late at night this side effect may not let you sleep the whole night. People with sleeping disorders need to shift to decaf options.
4) Palpitations
Although green tea may be good for keeping the heart happy and healthy. In some conditions, it can increase palpitations and increase heart beat.
5) Diarrhea
Access to too much is bad for all. Taking a large amount of green tea can have a bad effect on your digestive tract, making your diarrhea worse.
6) Osteoporosis
Green tea is known to prevent calcium absorption in the body. So, taking green tea for other benefits may cause your bone health to deteriorate. Take a supplement if green is a must for you.
7) Liver Conditions
Green tea extracts cause liver damage. Always consult your doctor before starting any supplements, he will advise you according to your health condition.
8) Glaucoma
After 30 minutes of drinking green tea, it increases the pressure in your eyes. It lasts up to an hour or 90 minutes.
9) High Blood Pressure
If you are a regular tea or coffee drinker then this condition may not occur to you. On the other hand, blood pressure patients should avoid green tea as it increases BP levels.
10) Dehydration
Most people have a misconception about green tea that drinking green tea increases hydration and they include it in their daily water intake. On the other hand, this might not be the case.
To absorb all the nutrients green tea takes a lot of water from your body, this results in dehydration in the body.
11) Diabetes
Again because of caffeine the blood sugar level may change. You need to monitor your sugar level carefully on the days you take green tea.
Do Green Tea Capsules Make My Poop Stink?
Green tea capsules are safe to take. They usually don’t have any side effects. Green tea capsules usually do not change the color of your poop or make it stink. But if this does happen it may be detoxifying your body.
Watch the effects on your body for the first few weeks of starting the green tea capsules.
If you start tummy ache, vomit, or stinking poop with black color, then stop taking the pills right away and see a doctor.
Always make sure to take the recommendations of your health care professionals before consuming green tea pills. They just don’t aid in weight loss but also detoxify your body.
Keep in mind that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend taking green tea as a treatment for any serious ailment.
Conclusion:
Green tea is an ancient healthy drink available as a supplement and hot drink. Care must be taken not to overdo in your routine. Check your current health status then implement drinking green tea in your routine.
While green tea may or may not make you poop. You can start drinking green tea for better tummy health and digestive tract.
Green tea does help you with relaxing your stomach muscles making it easy for your tummy to relax and you to do the deed easily. Start today for a healthier tomorrow!