I have to admit it up front, this is going to be the most horrible article I’ve ever written.
You see, while walking my dogs Marty and Rosie the other day, it occurred to me that poop plays a huge part in my life. I’m not afraid to admit it. I pick up my dogs’ poop every day, I pick up my cat’s litter box every day (okay, not EVERY day, but it certainly feels that way), and I talk to my clients about their bowel movements. In fact, while I was in India last summer, poop was actually the number one topic of conversation between me and my colleagues, as we compared notes about who had diarrhea and who was healthy. I even stayed on “poop watch” for several weeks after my return to the US, making sure everything was okay (and luckily, it was!)
So if you are a pet owner, parent, healthcare professional, or world traveler, you probably know what I mean!
But many people can’t talk about poop as much as I can. I know this because when I ask people about their poop, I often get blank stars and awkward looks. So, let’s talk about all the questions people want answered, but are often afraid to ask. After all, Your poop is an important indicator of your overall health!
What is poop?
Have you ever wondered what poop really is? About 75% of your average poop is WaterAlthough this will vary depending on the person. Water is absorbed from the stool as it passes through the large intestine, so the longer it takes to “go,” the drier your poop will be.
The remaining 25% is made up of dead bacteria that helped us digest our food, live bacteria, proteins, undigested food residues (also known as fiber), food waste material, cell linings, fats, cholesterol, salts, proteins and substances released. from the liver and intestines (as mucus).
What makes a healthy poop?
Your stool is a clear indicator of the health of your GI tract. Dr. Mehmet Oz says: “At the end of the day you can analyze your body really effectively by looking at what comes out of your body.”
What should you keep in mind? A healthy poop will be:
- golden brown, which is due to pigments formed by bacteria in the intestine and bile from the liver. You want to make sure the color is normal because that tells you a lot about what’s going on in your GI tract (more on color below).
- formed into a long shape. Dr. Michael Levitt, an Australian colorectal surgeon who has written a book called The Bowel Book, says that healthy human stool is the shape and consistency (though not the same color) of a green banana. Dr. Oz says, “You don’t want [pieces].” Some experts disagree, saying they don’t have to be well-formed. Patrick Donovan, ND, a naturopath in Seattle, WA says “Stools don’t have to be well-formed logs. They can be dispersed in toilet water; they can break.”
- Almost no smell.
- About 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 18 inches long.
What about other colors?
Sometimes we don’t see that “golden guru” and we face something else instead. Here’s an idea of what those other colors could mean.
- Black: The stool may be black if there is dried blood in it due to internal bleeding in the upper digestive tract. Consult a doctor if this is the case.
- Very dark brown: Drinking wine the night before can lead to dark brown poop. This could also be the result of eating too much salt or not eating enough vegetables.
- Yellow: One condition that can cause yellow poop is an infection known as giardia, a dangerous infection that can spread to others. Another cause of yellow poop can be a condition known as Gilbert’s syndrome. See your doctor if you constantly see yellow poop.
- Green: Babies often have green poop when they are first given food. Children can have green or blue poop due to certain diseases or from eating food dyes. Adults can also have green poop if they eat large amounts of green leafy vegetables or eat large amounts of food with green coloring. Light green poop can indicate excess sugar in the diet. Green stools can also occur with diarrhea if the bile salts pass through the intestine unchanged. Again, see a doctor if you are concerned!
- White/pale: Stools may appear white or pale after drinking barium sulfate, which is often given to patients undergoing X-rays of the digestive tract. A white or pale stool can also be an indication of problems with the gallbladder or liver.
- Red: Bright red in the stool can be indicative of active bleeding, possibly as a result of hemorrhoids. A magenta color can result from eating deep red food coloring or red foods like beets.
How often should I poop?
Ah, the big question! Experts disagree about how often a person should poop. The National Institute of Diabetes, Kidney and Digestive Diseases says that three times a week is normal and healthy for some people. According to Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system, once a day is ideal. Other experts recommend once or twice a day, while others say a person should have a bowel movement within two to three hours after a large meal, or two to three times a day. So you can see that it really depends on who you talk to. My personal opinion is that above all you want to be normal on your poo schedule, and that one poop a day is ideal.
When someone poops four or more times a day and the poop is runny in consistency, this is known as diarrhea. When someone has a bowel movement less than two or three days a week and the bowel movement is hard, dry, and difficult to pass, this is known as constipation.
What’s the deal with corn?
It’s funny, so it’s okay to laugh. But most people I know have experienced it and ask why when you eat corn the next time you poop there is again! There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that most of us don’t chew our food. Another interesting fact that I learned is that there is an outer layer in corn that is made up of indigestible cellulose. This outer layer is slipped off the inner grain and, since it is indigestible, passes through the intestine intact. It then emerges looking like a whole grain, even though it’s just the outer skin. The inside of the grain is starchy and digestible, and that is the part that we manage to chew and digest.
Well, I hope that now you know a lot more about this important topic. And that’s the scoop on poop!