Everybody Poops: What Your Poop May Be Trying To Tell You

I have to admit in advance that this will be the most horrible article I have ever written.

You see, while walking my dogs Marty and Rosie the other day, it occurred to me that poop plays a huge role in my life. I’m not afraid to admit it. I pick up my dog’s litter 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 my colleagues and I as we compared notes on who had diarrhea and who was still healthy. I even stayed on “poop watch” for several weeks after I returned to the United States, making sure everything was okay (and thankfully, 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 stares and awkward looks. So let’s talk about all the questions that people want answered, but are usually 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 Water, although this will vary by person. Water is absorbed from the stool as it passes through the large intestine, so the longer it takes to “wash out,” the drier the 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 (like mucus).

What makes a poop healthy?

Your stools are a clear indicator of the health of your gastrointestinal 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 the 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 feces resemble 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 the toilet water; they can break. ”
• Almost odorless.
• Approximately 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 18 inches long.

What about other colors?

Sometimes we don’t see that “golden guru” and we are faced with something else. Here’s an idea of ​​what those other colors could mean.

• Black: Stools may be black if there is dried blood 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 result in dark brown stools. This could also be the result of eating too much salt or not having enough vegetables.
• Yellow: One condition that can cause yellow stool is an infection known as giardia, a dangerous infection that can be spread to other people. 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 may have green or blue stools due to certain illnesses or from ingesting food dyes. Adults can also get green poop if they eat large amounts of green leafy vegetables or eat large amounts of green food coloring. Light green poop can indicate excess sugar in the diet. Green stools can also occur with diarrhea if the bile salts pass unchanged through the intestine. 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 an X-ray 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 the 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 defecate. 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, the ideal is once a day. Other experts advocate once or twice a day, while others say that a person should have a bowel movement within two to three hours after a major meal, or two or three times a day. So you can see that it really depends on who you talk to. My personal opinion is that you first of all want to be regular in your defecation schedule, and that a poop a day is ideal.

When someone poops four times a day or more and the poop has a liquid consistency, this is known as diarrhea. When someone has fewer than two to three days a week and the poop 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 of the people I know have experienced it and wonder why when you eat corn, the next time you poop, it comes back! 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 on corn that is made of indigestible cellulose. This outer layer is shed from the inner grain and, since it is indigestible, passes through the intestine intact. It then emerges as a complete nucleus, although it is only 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 you now know a lot more about this important topic. And that’s the scoop on poop!