Does The Cabbage Soup Diet Make You Poop? | Bowel Truth

The cabbage soup diet has a simple promise: cook a huge pot of low calorie soup, eat it across the week, and watch the scale drop. Alongside the weight talk, one question comes up again and again: does this soup diet send you running to the toilet more than usual?

Short answer: many people do notice extra trips to the bathroom. Cabbage is rich in fiber, the soup is water heavy, and the overall plan cuts fat and heavier foods. That mix changes how your gut moves, how soft your stool feels, and how often you poop.

What Is The Cabbage Soup Diet, Really?

The cabbage soup diet is a short, seven-day plan built around a large pot of vegetable soup where cabbage is the star. Most versions allow all the soup you want plus a strict list of extra foods on certain days, such as fruit, vegetables, lean protein, or a small portion of starch.

A Healthline review of the cabbage soup diet notes that the plan is very low in calories and not meant for long-term use. It can trigger fast water loss and some fat loss, but it does not teach steady eating habits or balanced nutrition.

Medical News Today coverage of the cabbage soup diet makes a similar point: there is no strong research that backs this diet as a safe, lasting way to eat. Health writers also flag side effects such as flatulence, fatigue, and sudden changes in bathroom habits.

Does The Cabbage Soup Diet Make You Poop More Often?

For many people, yes. The cabbage soup diet changes what you eat in a way that often speeds up bowel movements. You take in lots of cabbage and other vegetables, lots of broth, and very little fat. That combo tends to move through the gut quicker than a mixed plate with protein, starch, and fat.

Still, not everyone reacts in the same way. Some notice softer, more frequent stool. Others feel gassy and bloated with only a small change in actual poops. A few people even feel backed up if they do not drink enough water alongside the extra fiber.

How Fiber From Cabbage Affects Your Gut

Cabbage brings both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool and helps it pass through the colon. Soluble fiber holds water and forms a soft gel, which can help stool move and stay formed at the same time.

A National Institutes of Health review on fibre and bowel habits reports that higher fiber intake leads to softer stool and more frequent bowel movements in many adults with normal gut function. When you switch from a low fiber pattern to a bowl of cabbage soup several times a day, your gut can react fast.

Cabbage also ferments in the large intestine. Bacteria break down parts of the fiber and release gas. That gas adds pressure, which can trigger the urge to go, but it can also bring cramps and loud rumbling.

Water, Volume, And Stool Consistency

The cabbage soup diet brings a lot of broth and watery vegetables. That increases the total volume of what passes through your digestive tract. More volume plus more fiber often means bigger and more frequent poops.

NHS guidance on fibre intake points out that enough fluid is needed for fibre to help digestion and reduce constipation. On the cabbage soup diet, the soup itself provides fluid, but you still need extra water through the day. Without that, the extra fibre can feel uncomfortable rather than helpful.

Bathroom Effects Of Each Part Of The Cabbage Soup Diet

This diet is more than cabbage alone. The standard plan includes other vegetables, certain fruits, small portions of meat, and sometimes brown rice or baked potato. Each piece can nudge your gut in a slightly different way.

Diet Component	Typical Role In The Plan	Likely Effect On Bowel Movements
Cabbage-Heavy Soup	Eaten in large bowls across all seven days	More fibre and water, gas production, softer and more frequent stool for many people
Other Non-Starchy Vegetables	Onion, celery, carrot, peppers in the soup and on “veg” days	Add extra fibre and fluid, often increase stool bulk and speed
Fruit Days	Allowed on selected days in many versions	Fruit fibre and natural sugars can quicken gut transit and draw more water into stool
Lean Protein Portions	Small servings of chicken, beef, or similar on protein day	Protein slows digestion slightly and may balance very loose stool if portions stay modest
Starchy Add-Ons	Baked potato or brown rice on one or two days	Extra starch and some fibre can firm stool a little, which may ease bathroom rush for some
Very Low Fat Intake	Most versions keep fat close to zero	Less dietary fat means faster emptying from the stomach, which can add to urgency
Coffee, Tea, Or Diet Drinks	Often allowed as extras between bowls of soup	Caffeine can stimulate the colon and increase the urge to poop, especially in the morning

Bathroom Changes You Might Notice On Cabbage Soup Days

The mix of fibre, water, and low fat tends to change bowel habits in a matter of days. Some changes feel helpful, while others feel awkward or even painful. Paying attention to the pattern helps you decide whether the diet feels tolerable for your gut.

More Frequent Poops

The most common effect is simply going more often. Stool often becomes bulkier, softer, and easier to pass. People who were constipated before the diet sometimes feel relieved when they finally have regular poops.

Research collected in fibres and laxation reviews from the National Institutes of Health notes that higher fibre intake can raise bowel movement counts in healthy adults and in people who tended to be constipated before fibre changes. That lines up with many personal stories from cabbage soup diet users who report two or three poops a day instead of one.

Loose Stool Or Short-Term Diarrhea

Not all extra poops feel pleasant. Some people get loose stool or short bursts of diarrhea on the cabbage soup diet. The sudden switch from mixed meals to a soup heavy pattern can overwhelm a gut that is not used to that much fibre and water.

If you go from one firm stool each day to several urgent trips with watery stool, your body may be telling you that the change is too sharp. This risk rises if you eat giant bowls of soup in one sitting or eat little besides soup for several days in a row.

Bloating, Gas, And Cramps

Cabbage and onions both ferment in the colon and create gas. Gas stretches the intestinal walls and can cause cramping, pressure, and that classic “balloon” feeling in the belly. These feelings may come even if your stool pattern looks normal.

Some people find that gas settles after a few days as gut bacteria adjust. Others find that very cabbage heavy meals never feel comfortable and choose to cut back the portion size or stop the diet early.

Who Feels The Strongest Bathroom Effects?

Not every person reacts to the cabbage soup diet in the same way. Your baseline eating pattern, gut sensitivity, and health history all shape how your body responds to this week of soup.

If You Usually Eat Low Fibre

If your normal plate has white bread, low vegetable intake, and little fruit, your gut may not be used to handling much fibre. Jumping straight into bowls of cabbage soup can feel like going from zero to top speed.

In this case, the chance of gas, cramps, and urgent poops is higher. The gut lining and bacteria need time to adjust to higher fibre. When fibre jumps in one week, the body gets no such transition period.

If You Already Eat Plenty Of Fibre

People who already eat whole grains, fruit, vegetables, beans, and nuts daily often handle the cabbage soup diet a little more smoothly. For them, the diet sometimes feels like a different mix of the same roughage rather than a shock to the system.

They may still notice a little more gas or stool volume, but the change in bathroom trips tends to be smaller. In some cases, the low calorie and low protein intake causes more trouble than the fibre itself, leading to fatigue or dizziness rather than just gut issues.

Gut Conditions And Medication

People with irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease in remission, or a history of bowel surgery may react in unpredictable ways. High cabbage intake can aggravate cramps or diarrhea for some, while others find that the low fat pattern leaves them weaker.

Certain medicines, such as opioids or iron tablets, slow the gut. Others, such as some diabetes medicines, can cause loose stool. When you mix those effects with a very high vegetable soup intake, the bathroom pattern can swing in either direction, so extra care is wise.

Short-Term Diet, Long-Term Bathroom Lessons

The cabbage soup diet itself is not meant as a long-term lifestyle. Yet the reactions you see during that week may tell you something about how your body responds to fibre and fluid in general.

Factor	Cabbage Soup Diet (7 Days)	Balanced High Fibre Eating
Fibre Pattern	Sudden jump from low to very high cabbage and veg	Steady mix of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and pulses
Stool Frequency	Often rises quickly; sometimes leads to loose stool or urgency	Gradual improvement in regularity with less cramping for most people
Energy Intake	Very low calories, often leaves people hungry and tired	Enough calories for daily life and movement
Protein And Fat	Low levels, which may hurt muscle and hormone balance if used too long	Adequate protein and healthy fats alongside fibre
Bathroom Comfort	Gas, cramps, and urgent poops are common complaints	Target is formed stools that pass without strain or urgency
Sustainability	Not recommended by most health professionals for long use	Aligned with long-term gut health advice from major agencies

How To Look After Your Gut While Using Cabbage Soup

If you still decide to try the cabbage soup diet for a short spell, a few habits can make bathroom changes easier to manage. None of these steps remove the downsides of the diet, but they may reduce discomfort around poops and gas.

Start With Moderate Portions

Instead of three huge bowls on day one, start with smaller servings spread across the day. That gives your gut more time to handle the extra fibre and reduces the shock to your system.

You can also keep some non-starchy vegetables in raw form, such as a small salad. Raw and cooked fibre behave a little differently in the gut, and a mix sometimes feels gentler.

Drink Water Between Bowls

Fibre draws water into the gut. Without enough drinking water, stool can turn dry and harder to pass, even while you feel bloated. Aim for steady sips between meals instead of chugging one big bottle at once.

If you drink coffee or tea, remember that caffeine can prompt the urge to poop soon after a cup. Plan bathroom access around those drinks, especially while the diet is already stirring your gut.

Watch For Red Flags

Some bathroom changes are expected: more stool volume, a little extra gas, and a mild change in texture. Red flags look different. Bloody stool, severe cramps, fever, or black, tarry stool need prompt medical care. So does ongoing diarrhea that leads to dizziness or signs of dehydration such as very dark urine and a dry mouth.

If you have a history of gut disease, gallbladder problems, or eating disorders, talk with a doctor or registered dietitian before any very low calorie plan, including cabbage soup weeks. Fad diets can stir up older issues in ways that feel hard to predict.

Better Ways To Get Regular Poops Without The Soup Week

Cabbage itself can be part of a gut friendly routine without the strict soup diet. It offers fibre, water, and micronutrients with very few calories. USDA SNAP-Ed guidance on cabbage lists it as a versatile vegetable that works raw, sautéed, steamed, or in soups and stews.

Many people find that a steady mix of high fibre foods feels kinder than one intense week. Whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruit, and a variety of vegetables all add different types of fibre. This style lines up with NHS advice on building a fibre rich plate, which links higher fibre intake with better digestion and lower constipation risk.

If your main goal is regular, comfortable poops, that balanced path makes more sense than a harsh cabbage soup week. It brings more protein, more healthy fat, and enough calories to keep energy steady, while still feeding gut bacteria and stool bulk in a gentle way.

So, Does The Cabbage Soup Diet Make You Poop?

Most people do notice more time on the toilet during a cabbage soup week. High cabbage intake, heaps of other vegetables, and lots of broth usually mean bulkier stool, more gas, and a higher chance of loose stool or mild diarrhea. For a small group, especially those who already eat plenty of fibre, the shift feels milder.

The bathroom change is not a cleanse in a medical sense and does not replace steady gut care. Once the week ends and old habits return, stool patterns often slide back as well. For long-term gut comfort and regular poops, a balanced high fibre eating pattern backed by trusted health agencies offers a steadier route than a strict cabbage soup sprint.