Poo and You

Poo and You

We all do it. For some, it’s a necessary inconvenience. For others, it’s a pleasant and satisfying part of the digestive process. It has fascinated toddlers since time immemorial, and there’s a reason for that, Going number two might not be the prettiest topic for a dinner party, but there’s a lot to learn from this mundane, yet mysterious, process. In the end (no pun intended), it’s simply a part of our functioning body.

So, what exactly is poo?

Well, it’s mostly just undigested food, proteins, bacteria, salts, and other substances that are produced and released by intestines. Although everyone is unique in the size, shape, and smell of their poop, there are a few things that indicate a healthy (or unhealthy) poo.

What is normal poo?

Healthy poo can be as varied and as unique as the individuals who make it. But there are a few general rules to follow if you want to assess your poo artistry for optimum health.

Colour

The poo emoji has one thing right — the brown colouring. Bilirubin, which is a pigment compound formed from the breakdown of red blood cells in the body, gets the credit for this oh-so-lovely shade of brown.

Shape

A somewhat log like shape is how most poo should come out due to its formation within the intestines. There are a variation of shapes that poo can have, when they differentiate from the log/sausage shape, that’s when your poo is trying to tell you something’s up.

Size

Poo shouldn’t come out in small pellets but instead should be a couple inches in length, comfortable and easy to pass.

Consistency

Anywhere between a firm and soft consistency is pretty much normal. If it sways one way or another, it could suggest some digestion or fibre issues.

Length of time (how long it takes)

A commonly heard joke is that when someone takes too long in the bathroom, it must mean they’re pooing. A healthy poo, however, should be easy to pass and take only a minute to push out.

That said, some people do spend a bit more time on the toilet, so as a general rule, a poo should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes.

Frequency (how often)

Fun fact: Did you know most people poo around the same time every day?

On average, a person with healthy digestion, will poo anywhere between every other day to three times a day. Any less could suggest possible constipation. This means you need some more water to move the “boat.”

What is the Bristol Stool Scale?

This scale is an overarching indicator of how and why different types of poops look or feel a certain way. It’s broken up into seven categories based on a 2,000-person study, and it makes poop knowledge basic and easy to understand.

Type 1

Appearance: Hard and separate little lumps that look like nuts and are hard to pass

Indicates: These little pellets typically mean you’re constipated. It shouldn’t happen frequently.

Type 2

Appearance: Log-shaped but lumpy

Indicates: Here we have another sign of constipation that, again, shouldn’t happen frequently.

Type 3

Appearance: Log-shaped with some cracks on the surface

Indicates: This is the gold standard of poop, especially if it’s somewhat soft and easy to pass.

Type 4

Appearance: Smooth and snake-like

Indicates: Doctors also consider this a normal poop that should happen every one to three days.

Type 5

Appearance: These are small, like the first ones, but soft and easy to pass. The blobs also have clear cut edges.

Indicates: This type of poop means you are lacking fibre and should find ways to add some to your diet through cereal or vegetables.

Type 6

Appearance: Fluffy and mushy with ragged edges.

Indicates: This too-soft consistency could be a sign of mild diarrhoea. Try drinking more water and fruit juice to help improve this.

Type 7

Appearance: Completely watery with no solid pieces.

Indicates: In other words, you’ve got the runs, or diarrhoea. This means your stool moved through your bowels very quickly and didn’t form into a healthy poop.

What does a person’s poo colour mean?

As with size and consistency, poo’s colour can be a helpful signal about what’s going on within your body. As we previously mentioned, varying shades of brown are what’s considered the norm.

According to Mayo Clinic, even a hint of green is considered healthy. But if your poo is veering toward other ends of the rainbow, you might want to assess.

Black

If you’ve had liquorice, iron supplements, or bismuth medications (such as Gaviscon) that could be the explanation behind black stool. If you haven’t had any of that, black poo could be a sign of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

It may seem like red would be a more likely colour for this sort of concern, but since it’s taken a while to travel down, it’s older and therefore darker.

Green

Like we mentioned, hints of green are actually quite normal. But when it’s pretty much turned from brown to full green, it means one of two things. Either you’ve added lots of green foods like spinach to your diet, or your stools passing through you too fast. When it doesn’t pick up as much of the brown-tinting Bilirubin, it has more bile salts that turn it this colour.

Pale, white, or clay-colour

If your poo is a chalky light shade, it probably means you’re lacking bile. Bile is a digestive fluid that comes from your liver and gallbladder, so if you’re producing white stool, it probably means your duct is blocked.

Pale poo could also be a side-effect of certain medications like anti-diarrhoea medicine. Either way, if it continues, you should probably consult a doctor.

Red

You’re probably not surprised to hear that red poop can mean bleeding, either due to haemorrhoids or to bleeding in the lower intestinal tract. If your stool is red, though, there’s no need to immediately fret.

There are other less-serious reasons for the change in colour. Foods like beets, cranberries, red gelatine, or tomato juice can turn poo red as well.

Yellow

Greasy, stinky, yellow stool is typically a sign of too much fat. This could also be a direct relation to a malabsorption disorder like celiac disease, where your body isn’t absorbing enough nutrients.

What does it mean when your poop floats?

Every now and again, when you take a look in the toilet bowl, you’ll see poo bobbing like a toy boat in the bathtub. As alarming as this seems, all it means is that the stool is less dense than the others that sink.

One potential reason for this lack of density can come from an increased amount of gas or water.

It’s also possible that malabsorption is, once again, the reason for a floating turd. If this is the case, the other abnormalities previously mentioned, like slight constipation, would also be present.

What does constipation mean?

It may seem like you already have a good grasp on what constipation is, but according to the Mayo Clinic, constipation is defined as having less than three bowel movements per week.

There could be many reasons you experience this lack of pooing. Blockages or nerve issues in and around the colon or rectum may slow down pooping, as can problems with pelvic muscles. Conditions that affect hormones, like pregnancy or diabetes, could also be the culprit.

If you’re experiencing this clogged-up feeling, you can add more high-fibre foods to your diet like beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Drinking lots of fluids, staying active and managing stress can also all help to alleviate constipation.

When should you see a doctor?

If any less-urgent, abnormal pooping habits carry on for more than a couple days, you should talk to a healthcare professional. A green poo here or hard poo there happens to the best of us.

It’s when this type of irregularity carries on for more than a day or two that you should take action and talk to a doctor. The same goes for changes that are less concerning. like changes in colour or consistency, or constipation.

Most seriously, chronic constipation can obstruct the bowels, while chronic diarrhoea can make it difficult for a person to absorb necessary nutrients from food. Both chronic constipation and chronic diarrhoea could even be a sign for more serious conditions.

Again, the first sign of either of these should not be immediate cause for concern, but keep an eye on it and see if it lasts more than a few days.

That said, pay attention to any signs of blood. If you haven’t eaten any of the foods, described above, that could possibly turn your poop this colour, you should see a doctor immediately.

As quick as we are to write it off, our poo can provide a wealth of knowledge about our health and ourselves. So next time you pop a squat, take note of what’s going on. The toilet bowl is a window into your health and you.