Does Almond Milk Make You Constipated? 

If you’re dealing with constipation, trying to figure out the cause of this uncomfortable digestive issue can be frustrating. 

Whether you’ve recently started drinking non-dairy milk and have noticed irregular bowel movements, or if you’re wondering whether almond milk, like cow’s milk, can cause constipation in young children, this article will help you understand whether almond milk could be the culprit.

In this post, I’ll explain what constipation is, whether almond milk contributes to constipation, and other potential causes for you to consider.

What is constipation?

In basic terms, constipation refers to difficulty having bowel movements. Signs of constipation can include: 

• Pain when passing stools
• Straining to pass stools
• Bloating
• Dry or hard stools
• Having less than 3 bowel movements per week
• Feeling like you haven’t passed all your stools

If you’ve been experiencing symptoms for several months, you may have chronic constipation.

RELATED: Bloating On a Vegan Diet: Why It Happens and How to Ease Symptoms

Does almond milk make you constipated?

Since almond milk is about 98% water, it’s unlikely to cause constipation in most people. Fluid intake is a key factor in maintaining regular bowel movements, so drinking almond milk could actually help prevent constipation in people who don’t drink enough water. 

That said, if you’re drinking so much almond milk that you aren’t eating enough fiber-rich foods, you could still experience constipation. Realistically, though, most people aren’t drinking this much almond milk.

Of course, many commercial almond milk products contain additional ingredients besides almonds and water. Let’s discuss a couple of ingredients that are sometimes discussed concerning constipation.

Calcium fortification

Many brands of almond milk are fortified with calcium to better match the nutrition profile of dairy milk and to help people get enough calcium to support bone health.

Calcium carbonate is the most frequently used form of calcium added to almond milk. According to the Mayo Clinic¹, it can be more constipating than other forms of calcium, like calcium citrate or tricalcium phosphate.

There aren’t a ton of studies looking at calcium carbonate supplementation and constipation specifically, but a 2006 study² found that elderly women taking 600 milligrams of calcium carbonate twice a day (1,200 milligrams daily) had higher rates of constipation than women taking a placebo.

A 2012 review paper³ of multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) also found increased rates of constipation when taking calcium supplements. One of these RCTs was the 2006 study mentioned above, while the other two studies used calcium citrate. Interestingly, in a study of older men⁴, calcium citrate supplementation did not result in increased constipation.

Overall, the evidence suggests that consuming 1,200 milligrams of calcium carbonate a day may promote constipation in some people. But does almond milk contain that much calcium?

To answer this question, I’ve listed the calcium content of the most popular fortified brands of almond milk below:

• Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk: 470mg – calcium carbonate
• Silk Original Protein Almondmilk: 470mg – calcium carbonate
• Great Value Unsweetened Almondmilk: 450mg – calcium carbonate
• Good & Gather Unsweetened Almond Milk: 450mg – calcium carbonate
• Almond Breeze Unsweetened: 450mg – calcium carbonate
• Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk: 440mg – calcium carbonate
• 365 by Whole Foods Market Almond Milk: 50mg – tricalcium phosphate

Most of these have similar amounts of calcium, ranging from 440 to 470 milligrams. This means you’d have to drink three 8-ounce cups of almond milk to get more than 1,200 milligrams in a day. If drinking one or two cups a day, you’re probably not consuming enough calcium carbonate to negatively impact your bowel movements.

RELATED: A Vegan Dietitian’s Guide to Non-Dairy Milk

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is a food additive made from seaweed that many people worry can harm our digestive health. It’s often added to almond milk to make it less watery. 

It may be a trigger for Irritable Bowel Disease⁵ (IBD), but there’s no evidence connecting carrageenan to constipation. At this time, carrageenan isn’t thought to be constipating.

Other causes of constipation

There are many factors which can impact bowel regularity, so it’s important to consider these when determining what could be causing your digestive discomfort. Other potential causes of constipation include:

• Low fiber intake (not enough plant-based foods)
• Low fluid intake
• Inadequate physical activity
• Chronic stress
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Some medications such as opioids, antidepressants, and high blood pressure medications

Summary

Overall, almond milk is unlikely to cause constipation since it’s so hydrating. That said, some people may become constipated when drinking three or more cups of almond milk fortified with calcium carbonate per day. 

Of course, there are many factors that play a role in constipation. For most people, almond milk probably isn’t the primary cause. If you’re concerned about irregular bowel movements, discussing these concerns with your physician or registered dietitian can help.

The scientific information in this article was accurate at the time of publishing but may change over time as new research becomes available.

References

1. Mayo Clinic Staff. Calcium and calcium supplements: achieving the right balance. Mayo Clinic website. Accessed 6/3/24.
2. Prince RL, Devine A, Dhaliwal SS, Dick IM. Effects of calcium supplementation on clinical fracture and bone structure: results of a 5-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in elderly women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(8):869-875. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.8.869
3. Lewis JR, Zhu K, Prince RL. Adverse events from calcium supplementation: relationship to errors in myocardial infarction self-reporting in randomized controlled trials of calcium supplementation. J Bone Miner Res. 2012;27(3):719-722. doi:10.1002/jbmr.1484
4. Reid IR, Ames R, Mason B, et al. Randomized controlled trial of calcium supplementation in healthy, nonosteoporotic, older men. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(20):2276-2282. doi:10.1001/archinte.168.20.2276
5. Borsani B, De Santis R, Perico V, et al. The Role of Carrageenan in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Allergic Reactions: Where Do We Stand?. Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3402. Published 2021 Sep 27. doi:10.3390/nu13103402