You’re constipated if you have fewer than three bowel movements per week, and if you’ve ever been there, trying to pass hard and dry stools, you’ve probably wished for poop buttons to help keep things moving.
The good news is, there is nothing unsafe about consuming about one tablespoon of olive oil if you’re finding it hard to poop in the mornings, according to gastroenterologist and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Dr. Priyanka Singh (via Well+Good). She suggests extra-virgin olive oil, however, because it’s the purest form out there.
You may, however, want to be mindful of combining the stuff with your morning coffee, especially if you’re not close to a bathroom. As evidenced by the various social media users who’ve posted about having to run to the bathroom after drinking the Starbucks olive oil-infused coffee, things might get going a lot sooner (and more explosively) than you anticipated. Coffee and olive oil paired together can be a double-hit of sorts when it comes to their laxative properties. Also, be aware of just how much olive oil you’re consuming. Too much of it can cause diarrhea and also add to your daily calorie limit (per Healthline).
