Does Eating Ice Cream make your Stool during Bowel Movements Softer or Harder?

Both. Ice cream is a dairy product, and dairy contains milk. Milk is only heated to a certain temperature, not boiled, which means that not all bacteria are completely killed. This process, called pasteurization, alters the casein protein in milk, making it harder to digest and leading to constipation (hard stool).

Another issue with dairy is lactose intolerance. Most people lose the lactase enzyme, which is needed to digest lactose, around the age of two. Only a small number of individuals with rare genetic traits continue to produce lactase into adulthood. The absence of this enzyme prevents proper digestion of milk, causing more water to be drawn into the colon and resulting in diarrhea or soft stools. Additionally, dairy contains bacteria, and many ice creams have added chemicals. Since the body recognizes these substances as foreign, it works to eliminate them, which leads to watery or soft stools.

Key Point:
Foods that are hard to digest tend to make your stool hard, while foods containing many chemicals, bacteria, or toxins lead to soft or watery stools.

To balance, eat more fiber and drink plenty of fluids, preferably fiber from fruits and vegetables, rather than processed oats or rice.