Does orange juice make you poop?

Orange juice makes you poop!

Orange juice helps you poop. It hydrates you effectively, and provides a decent amount of dietary fiber! Prefer drinking homemade orange juice with pulp for a higher fiber content.

Common causes of constipation

Chronic constipation affects up to 20% of the population![1] There are many causes of constipation, such as poor diet, disease, medication, neurological or systemic issues, stress and depression.

There are 3 types of constipation:

  • slow-transit constipation,
  • dysfunctional constipation that is treated with biofeedback and medications,
  • constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.

Certainly, a pretty common cause of constipation is poor diet. Following a high-fiber diet, drinking enough water, and exercising should be the first steps for an easier and regular bowel movement.

Low-fiber intake is a common cause of constipation

Consuming adequate amounts of fiber daily is particularly important for our health. Unfortunately, most people consume less than half of the recommended daily intake of fiber!

High amounts of fiber intake is beneficial for a number of gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, duodenal ulcer, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and of course constipation.

Other health benefits of high daily intake of fiber are lower blood pressure, lower serum cholesterol levels, improved insulin sensitivity, and faster weight loss.

Moreover, high daily intake of fiber has been linked to significantly lower risk for developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity![2]

Furthermore, the recommended daily intake of fiber is 14g per 1,000 kcal. So, if you consume 2,000 calories daily, you should consume at least 28g of fiber.

Oranges are high in fiber

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is the best way to boost your daily intake of fiber. Certainly, oranges are an excellent source of fiber. 100g contains 2.4g of fiber. A whole orange contains about 3.7g of fiber, or 13% DV (Daily Value).[3]

Certainly, eating whole fruits, such as oranges is good for constipation, as they’re particularly high in fiber. People who follow a poor diet can benefit the most.

Furthermore, there are 2 types of dietary fiber, insoluble and soluble. Oranges contain both types of fiber. About 40% are insoluble fiber and 60% are soluble fiber.[4]

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and makes stools gelatinous. Hence, soluble fiber makes the passage of stools easier. On the other hand, insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool alleviating constipation.

Furthermore, oranges contain carbs that are absorbed easily. Eating foods containing easily digested carbs is vital for people with IBS.[5]

Orange juice with pulp helps you poop

Although whole fruits are good sources of fiber, fruit juices contain an insignificant amount of fiber. For instance, a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice contains only 0.5g of fiber. Therefore, try to consume orange juice with pulp, in order, to consume more fiber.

Moreover, pomegranate juice, avocados, and mangos is also beneficial for constipation.

Take vitamin C from orange juice

Above all, orange juice is among the richest foods in vitamin C. An 8oz glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice has about 124 mg of vitamin C. That’s a vitamin C dosage higher than the recommended daily intake!

It’s preferred to take vitamin C from food, such as orange juice, as vitamin C supplements may cause gastrointestinal disturbances due to the osmotic effect of unabsorbed vitamin C in the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, daily high dosages of vitamin C supplements may cause kidney stones. Due to increased urinary oxalate.[6]

Certainly, a daily 1,000 mg dosage of vitamin C is considered pretty safe. On the other hand, athletes should avoid taking vitamin C supplements regularly, as they might inhibit athletic performance!

Moreover, according to a study, constipated children had significantly lower intakes of dietary fiber, along with vitamin C![6] Following a plant-based diet could help you poop. Plants are the only foods that contain high amounts of fiber and vitamin C.

Orange juice helps you poop, as it hydrates you effectively

Besides consuming more fiber, increased fluid intake can help you poop. Dehydration is common among people with constipation problems. Above all, try to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

Orange juice is even better than water for helping you poop. Firstly, a glass of orange juice has up to 1g of fiber. Moreover, orange juice provides the body with electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals that must be replenished.

Plain water doesn’t contain significant amounts of electrolytes. So, we have to depend on food. Fruit juices are an excellent way of hydration, as it contains electrolytes, besides water.

What is the best time to drink orange juice?

Prefer drinking a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice in the morning. It’s the best time to drink fruit juices. Also, orange juice’ll provide high-quality hydration. Furthermore, orange juice is mainly sugars. Your muscles and brain use sugar for energy.

So, drinking a glass of orange juice in the morning won’t make you fat. On the contrary, it’ll give you instant energy. Most sugars will be stored as glycogen in your muscles, for later use in the day.

Certainly, you should avoid commercial orange juices which contain high amounts of extra sugar.

Furthermore, you could drink water with lemon juice, if you want to boost your daily vitamin C intake, without all the extra sugar. Juice from a lemon contains only 10 calories. Hence, it’s an excellent fruit juice for losing weight fast.