Hi guys, welcome back to my series on gut health. Today we’re going to talk about the one thing that makes us laugh and feel embarrassed all at the same time: poop. Now, before you get grossed out, I’m seriously going to ask you stay with me as we break the taboo and get to know poop. It’s not often talked about, but understanding just what poop is, and what a healthy poop should be, is a key factor towards maintaining a healthy gut. Are you ready? Don’t be scared- let’s jump right in!

So when you break down poop, which is also referred to as stool, here’s what you wind up with: 75% water, and 25-50% bacteria, mucus, fiber, and shed lining from the gut. When you think about it, the act of defecating (deaf-uh-cate-ing), or pooping, is similar to a snake shedding its skin. During a bowel movement, we’re refreshing the cells and good bacteria in our gut- it’s our body’s natural way to detox!

Now that we know what stool is, it’s time to go over what a healthy bowel movement should ideally look like. Although there will be some slight variations from person to person, in general, most poop has an ideal or preferred “type”. This “type” can be found according to what is known as the Bristol Stool Chart, which was developed by two doctors at the Bristol Infirmary in England. According to them, the appearance of poop will depend on how long it takes for it to be “released” (known as transit time).
For instance, the longer the transit, the more water that gets reabsorbed, which causes harder stool. On the other hand, the shorter the transit, the looser the consistency (like diarrhea).

According to the Bristol Stool Chart, there are seven different types of stool. Let’s take a look at them:
*Type 1 Stool is going be hard lumps; people often call these “rabbit pellets”. Someone with Type 1 is definitely constipated, since the colon has sucked up all of the extra water and dried up the stool, making it difficult to pass. On the same note, a person with Type 1 is most likely dehydrated and dealing with an imbalance in their gut. Believe it or not, bacteria naturally hold in water. Being dehydrated and lacking enough good bacteria is a recipe for Type 1 stool and constipation. And if you’re not getting in enough fiber- which so many people lack today- this also causes the stool to lack enough material to retain enough water in order to be passed.

*Type 2 Stool is a lumpy, sausage shape, and is another sign of constipation. It’s not as slow as Type 1, but still is hard to pass. Straining during a bowel movement in itself is dangerous, since it can lead to issues like hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, and disruptions in the anal sphincters that open and close naturally during a bowel movement. With this type of stool, adding fiber can actually work against you, since the colon is already full of stool.

*Type 3 Stool is another sausage shape, but with little cracks on the surface. Passing it doesn’t take as long as Types 1 and 2, but it’s still considered a minor form of constipation since the transit time is anywhere between 1-2 weeks.

*Type 4 Stool is the wonder child of the Bristol Stool Chart; the “ideal” poop. Type 4 is long, smooth, and banana or snake shaped. Passing it is supposed to be easy, and the cleanup is nothing more than a few wipes. It’s a sign that the person has good regularity, transit time (which is about 72 hours), and plenty of water and good bacteria. The larger the poop, the more likely the person is eating a fiber-rich, gut-friendly diet.

*Type 5 Stool is a runner up to Type 4. It’s soft blobs with clear-cut edges. The only reason it’s not completely ideal is due to the fact that it can also be a sign of diarrhea or a fast transit. This type of stool can happen if you’re having multiple bowel movements a day, and may indicate a lack of fiber that is needed to create enough “bulk”. If your stool falls under this category, you may either have a fast digestive system or need to incorporate extra fiber into your diet.

*Type 6 Stool is mushy, with fluffy pieces and a few ragged edges. Without being too graphic, this type can be very explosive and difficult to “keep in”. It’s a definite sign that things are moving far too quickly in the colon and lack the time to settle and become fully formed stool. Stress, spices, stimulants, and laxatives can cause this type. In some cases, drinking water with a high mineral content all may cause this type of stool to happen, since minerals in excess have laxative effects. With Type 6, there’s plenty of clean up and wiping to be done given its messy nature.

*Type 7 is formless stool; it’s nothing but water, and has no solid pieces. Without a doubt, it is diarrhea. Type 7 can be dangerous since the excess fluid that is lost can lead to dehydration. If you’ve gotten food poisoning or an infection, it can also be your body’s way of protecting itself by purging the “threat”. Antibiotics can cause this type of stool too because it’s wiping out good bacteria, which hold onto water.

Putting it all together, Types 1,2 and 3 fall under constipation, and Types 6 and 7 fall under diarrhea. The ideal stools are Types 4 and 5. Using the Bristol Stool Chart can help you to determine the health of your gut. But if you want to look even further, there are a few extra things to consider. The Bristol Stool Chart covers form, but there is also frequency (which is how often you’re having a bowel movement), color, behavior, and smell. Let’s cover each of these.

-When it comes to frequency, there is no “perfect” number, since it’s going to vary from each person. That being said, you should ideally be going at least once a day. Going two or even three times is considered acceptable. But anything outside of that may be a sign of either constipation or loose stools.

However, even though constipation is clinically defined as having a bowel movement less than three times a week, some people find missing even one day to be very uncomfortable. Signs of constipation include bad breath, poor skin health, difficulty or straining during passing, and feeling flu-like during the process. And of course going too often or experiencing diarrhea is yet another sign that something is wrong inside the gut. The body is obviously getting rid of something that’s not supposed to be there, and feeling unwell before, during, and after a bowel movement like this should also be taken note of.

– Color is also something that should be looked at. Poop should be brown. There’s no other way to put it. That’s thanks to having certain amounts of bile, being released from the liver and broken down by bacteria. Having too much bile being released can cause our stool to turn green, yellow, or very light brown. It’s a sign that the stool has moved too quickly and that our bacteria didn’t have enough time to break down the bile. Stool with these colors is also a sign that our body is having trouble absorbing dietary fat, since bile is an important part of digesting it. But don’t panic just yet if you’re seeing green in your poop- if you’re eating large amounts of green veggies, wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella, then you’re actually not having any of these problems, since those foods can cause the stool to turn green. If that’s not the case, you may want to consider getting checked by a doctor, and supporting digestion with things like herbal bitters and possibly digestive enzyme supplements.

One color you should definitely pay attention to is red. Unless you’ve recently eaten a bunch of beets-, which can temporarily “dye” the stools red-, then you must contact a doctor immediately. Red stools indicate either bleeding in the colon or hemorrhoids. But if the stool is either a dark shade of red or even black, that’s a sign of bleeding either up in the small intestine, stomach, or esophagus. The blood has had more time to be processed, hence the reason why it’s darker. Either way, do not wait for things to pass when it comes to having red or black stools; get to a doctor A-S-A-P!

By the way, if you’re seeing any stringy material that’s clear or foggy in your stool, that’s also a sign of an imbalance in the gut. What you’re seeing is mucus, which may be caused by dehydration, constipation, inflammation, or infection. If this persists for too long, then it’s also wise to go out and see a doctor.

-Next, there’s the behavior of stool. No, stool cannot interact with you. But it can “behave” by way of either floating or sinking. Floating stools almost always are a sign that there’s either too much fat in the diet or that you’re not absorbing fat. If you’re not absorbing fat, it could be due to an infection or malabsorption. Sometimes though, floating stool could just be trapped gas caused by excess swallowing or bacteria.

Stool should otherwise be sinking whenever it’s passed. There’s no other way around it!
Now, remnants of food in the stool also could be a sign that you’re not digesting your food properly. With the exception of corn and seeds, you should not be seeing your food again, especially within 24 hours of eating it. Possible causes behind this include a lack of chewing, stress, irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, autoimmune disease, or bacterial imbalance.

-Finally, we have the thing that makes poop so wonderful to talk about: smell. While poop isn’t going to be anywhere near as pleasant as a basket of roses, it also shouldn’t be foul or offensive. Stool can actually have no scent, or just a whiff of odor.
By the way, gas is naturally a part of digestion. Passing gas is yet another way our body detoxes. The only time when gas should be considered a problem is when it becomes persistent or uncomfortable. If that’s the case, you could be dealing with an overgrowth of bacteria, are eating too quickly, or consuming hard-to-digest foods.

With all of this information on poop, let’s wrap things up and summarize what a healthy poop should ideally be:
It is either a Type 4 or 5 on the Bristol Stool Chart. The shape is long and smooth, and easy to pass. There aren’t any remnants of undigested food or mucus. The color is brown, and its odor is very minor, if nonexistent. The amount of times it passes should be anywhere between 1 to 3 times a day. And finally it should sink to the bottom of the toilet.

Studying the characteristics of your poop is a great way of understanding how effectively your digestive system is working, and whether or not there are any underlying problems that need to be addressed. Changes in stool can help to get you started on improving your gut health, and should be seen not as disturbances but as clues to a puzzle waiting to be solved.
What do you think? Are you ever going to look at poop the same way again? Don’t be shy about talking about it- as you can see, it’s more than a dirty word!