- A gastroenterologist on TikTok shared why shopping makes people poop
- Theories include smells of coffee and books, as well as slouching to shop.
- READ MORE: Five ways to improve gut health, according to a dietitian
Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a California gastroenterologist, took to TikTok to share why shopping makes you poop
A Harvard-trained doctor has revealed why shopping trips are more likely to make you run to the bathroom.
California gastroenterologist Dr. Saurabh Sethi took to TikTok to share that it’s not just your imagination: Shopping actually triggers a signal in your intestines.
In the video, which has more than 30,000 views, Dr Sethi said: “Let me explain. This phenomenon is known as the Mariko Aoki phenomenon and was first described in Japan in 1985.
“Many of my patients have told me that the same thing has happened to them too.”
The term is named after a woman who wrote in a Japanese magazine that every time she wandered into a bookstore, she felt a sudden need to go to the bathroom.
Dr. Sethi said this sudden impulse is called the Mariko Aoki phenomenon. The term is named after a woman who wrote in a Japanese magazine that every time she wandered through a bookstore, she felt a sudden need to go to the bathroom.
Some researchers theorize that the smell of coffee and books in stores like Barnes & Noble may stimulate a bowel movement.
According to McGill University, several readers wrote in and said they had experienced the same thing. The magazine published a follow-up article with the headline “Shaking up the bookstore industry.”
While it’s unclear what exactly triggers Mariko Aoki at Barnes & Noble or Target, Dr. Sethi suggested it could be due to certain spells like books or coffee.
The caffeine contained in coffee, for example, has been shown to stimulate contractions in the colon and speed up digestion, even if you don’t drink it.
Additionally, roasted coffee contains compounds such as chlorogenic acid, which causes higher levels of stomach acid, forcing the stomach to eliminate its contents faster than normal.
This might explain why stopping by the Barnes & Noble coffee shop or the Starbucks pop-up at Target might send you to the bathroom.
As for books, one theory is that the smell of ink and paper has a natural laxative effect, although this has not been studied in depth.
Other research suggests that leaning forward or slouching, such as when buying books, massages the digestive organs and makes bowel movements easier.
Dr. Sethi also noted that feeling relaxed (or anxious) when shopping can cause this feeling.
When you feel anxious, your gut produces higher levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which sends messages between nerve cells in the brain and the rest of the body.
This increase in serotonin can cause colon spasms that trigger a bowel movement.
Dr. Sethi said some people “even visit specific stores daily to defecate.”
TikTok users flocked to the comments to share their own experiences.
“It happens to me every time I go shopping,” said a user named Nora.
Someone else commented: “Probably some people not being active is just walking.”
‘The library at university always did the same thing to me. Regular like a clock,” added a user named Terry.
Another user said: ‘Buying greeting cards. Every time.’