What Does Your Poo Say About You?

Quite the question, huh?

We tend not to talk about our bowel habits in polite society as it’s just not the done thing. And, like many things, good and bad, our embarrassment around all things poop stems from the Victorians.

In this article:

A Quick Lesson on the History of Toilet Habits
How Many Times Should I Poop a Day?
How Long Should it Take Me to Poo?
When Should I Poo?
What Colour Should My Poo Be?
How About Poo Size, Shape and Texture? What’s Normal?
Should My Poo Float or Sink?
Is Really Stinky Poo Normal?
How About Mucus and Blood?
Remembering What’s Normal For You

A Quick Lesson on the History of Toilet Habits

Until Victorian times, it, was normal for people to use side by side, outdoor toilets. Yes, that’s right - people would hang out at communal outhouse loos, chatting and… pooping. It was completely normal. (Apart from for the very rich, who had already started using indoor toilets, presumably behind individual closed doors.)

There was certainly no shame over the sights, sounds and smells of defecating. In fact, it was a time for catching up, for socialising even.

Then along came the Victorians, with their forward-thinking plumbing systems. Gradually, indoor toilets became a thing, as the scientists and engineers of the time began to learn and understand more about the spread of disease.

Quite thankfully, this meant that hand washing, sanitisation, clean running water, soap and flushing toilets were understood to help stop the spread of nasty diseases. And so, our toilet affairs became private affairs and pooping in private led to a distancing from dirt and a growing shame in outward displays of bodily fluids. Especially so, for women.

History lesson over, we now go to the toilet in private (Hallelujah). But as a consequence, we’ve stopped talking about our bowels. Which is a shame, because if we could only talk at least to our doctors openly about our bowel habits, we might understand more about what they’re telling us about our health.

But because we don’t, today we’re going to talk about what our poo says about us. Just in case there’s anything you’re concerned about, that could warrant some investigation.

How Many Times Should I Poop a Day?

As a general rule, passing stools between three times a day and three times a week is considered normal. We appreciate that this is the difference between pooping three times a week and 21 times a week, which seems quite a vast difference, but that’s what the doctors say.

Nervous energy, exercise and drinking stimulants such as tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks can all make us pass stools more frequently.

Conversely, being dehydrated, eating a diet low in fibre (read: low in vegetables), living a sedentary lifestyle and ageing can all mean that we poop less frequently.

How Long Should it Take Me to Poo?

It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to do your business. If it’s consistently taking you a lot longer, say longer than ten minutes, then you’re probably constipated. Or you might have a blockage.

In the short term, a gentle laxative can help. Longer-term, try drinking more water and being more active if you’re able to.

If you find that you’re desperate to evacuate your bowels immediately after eating on a regular basis, you may need to eat more fibrous foods and cut back on the caffeine.

When Should I Poo?

Again, speaking in broad terms, it’s “normal” to need to pass a stool during the day, rather than during the night.

Surveys generally suggest that the majority of people go to the toilet in the morning before work. Most people also poop each time at roughly the same time of day, so if it’s normal for you to go in the afternoon, then that’s your normal.

Waking up in the night and needing a poop isn’t generally considered normal and if this is a new habit, it could be worth chatting to your doctor.

What Colour Should My Poo Be?

A normal, healthy poo will be medium to dark brown in colour. Anything other than this could indicate something going on inside that might need investigating. Here’s a rough guide…

Black poo - this could indicate dark, stale blood originating from high up in the digestive tract or it could be caused by taking iron supplements or eating a lot of liquorice.

Bright red poo - this usually means fresh blood, caused by bleeding lower down in the digestive tract, most commonly from piles or haemorrhoids. Eating a lot of beetroots, tomato soup or red juices can also cause bright red poop.

Yellow poo - often accompanied by greasy looking stools, yellow poo is caused by excess fat, which can be an indicator of a malabsorption disorder such a coeliac disease, an allergy to gluten.

Green poo - this is often down to having diarrhoea meaning that your food, in particular the veggies in your diet, isn’t having enough time to get digested.

White or pale poo - often a sign that your bile duct is blocked or not working properly. This could be serious so speak to your doctor if your poo is pale all of the time.

Here’s a handy Stool Colour Chart to give you an idea of what’s normal and what isn’t.

How About Poo Size, Shape and Texture? What’s Normal?

An ideal, healthy poo should be semi-firm in consistency, and sausage-like in shape. It shouldn’t be hard or dry and it should come out of your body in one or a couple of long pieces, rather than lots of pellets. Passing a stool shouldn’t hurt, either.

The Bristol Stool Chart is another handy chart that dates back to 1992 and details the shape and consistency of different poo types - some normal, some not so.

“Hot dogs” and “snakes” are in whilst “marbles” and “caterpillars” denote constipation. “Amoebas” suggest that you need more fibre, “soft scoop” suggests diarrhoea and a “Jackson Pollock” screams severe diarrhoea.

And there was us thinking that toilet humour had had its day… (There’s a more scientific version of the Bristol Stool Chart here.)

A quick note on excessive ‘skid marks’. If you’re leaving a lot of them behind in the toilet, then your poo is probably quite sticky. This could mean that you have a lot of mucus in your poo, caused by a gluten or dairy intolerance and/or not enough fibre.

Should My Poo Float or Sink?

A healthy poop should sink when it reaches the water in the toilet. If you notice that your poo floats on the water, or doesn't flush away easily, it could be a sign of too much fibre in your diet, that’s causing an increased amount of gas - hence poo that won’t sink.

It could also indicate a malabsorption problem, so if this is new to you, seek medical advice.

Is Really Stinky Poo Normal?

No poo is ever going to smell delightful. But rancid smelling stools can be a consequence of a significant diet change, eating a diet heavy in junk food or constipation.

Really stinky poo is also a consequence of eating too many acid-forming foods, such as meat and dairy. We advocate an alkaline diet (for around 80% of the time) where your diet is rich in vegetables, beans and lentils.

How About Mucus and Blood?

As we mentioned above, mucus in your stools can be a sign of too little fibre or an intolerance to gluten or dairy. But it can also be a sign of excess inflammation caused by an inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. So it’s well worth speaking to your doctor about.

We also mentioned blood above, and any kind of blood can be alarming. Fresh, red blood is usually a sign of piles or a cut close to your anus. Dark, old blood has had to travel for a while to leave your body and therefore has come from higher up towards the stomach.

If you notice old, dark blood or you have fresh red blood that’s not going away or is alarming you, speak to your doctor.

Remembering What’s Normal For You

Frequency, colour, consistency - it’s all unique to you. We’ve tried to keep a balanced view here, talking about what’s generally considered normal. It’s important to keep a mind’s eye on your bowel habits so that you notice any changes.

Temporary changes in bowel habits can be a sign of eating something not quite right or even as part of your regular menstrual cycle.

But long term changes, noticing mucus or blood or experiencing pain and bleeding are worth talking to your doctor about, to rule out anything serious.

In holistic medicine, our guts are considered the root of all health and disease states, including our emotional wellbeing. So listening to your gut, quite literally, will help you to stay in charge of your health.

This article is not meant to treat or diagnose. Please visit your doctor for advice about any health concerns you may have.

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