Adaptation A: The Questions

My Questions:

How long does food take to digest and become poop?

Digestion time varies between individuals and between men and women. After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and, finally, elimination of undigested food. Drinking water with a meal also helps digestion.

Does caffeine affect the speed?

drinking coffee can stimulate movement of the colonic muscles, thus promoting peristalsis (the coordinated contraction and relaxation of intestinal muscles that causes bowel movements). One study noted that the magnitude of this peristaltic effect of caffeinated coffee is similar to one induced by eating a meal. It’s also 60 percent stronger than the effect induced by drinking water, and 23 percent stronger than the effect due to drinking decaffeinated coffee. The caffeine in coffee stimulates muscles in the colon causing peristalsis, the contraction and relaxation of intestinal muscles that causes bowel movements.

How much caffeine is in coffee?

So how much coffee is needed to get results? The above-referenced study used a black Colombian coffee containing 150 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, a fairly average caffeine content for an 8-ounce (oz) cup of joe. A 12-oz “tall” drip coffee from Starbucks contains approximately 240 mg of caffeine, and single-shot latte drinks approximately 90 mg. In the end, the effect will vary by the individual. 

How often do humans poop?

Everybody is different, and there is no set “normal” when it comes to passing stools. That said, the normal range spans three times a day to once every three days, meaning the average person poops approximately once a day—about 1 ounce of stool for each 12 pounds of her or his body weight. That means a person weighing 160 pounds produces an average of just under a pound of poop each day.

What should a person eat to encourage a healthy bowel movement and/or quicken the process?

Fibre

So, when is the best time to poop at work?