Healthy poop 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.
The poop emoji has one thing right: the brown coloring. The combination of stomach bile and 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. A somewhat log-like shape is how most poop should come out due to its formation within the intestines.
Anywhere between a firm and soft consistency is pretty much normal. If it sways too much one way or another, it could suggest some digestion or fiber issues. A healthy poop, however, should be easy to pass and take only a minute or so to push out.
That said, some people do spend a bit more time on the toilet, so as a general rule, a poop should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes. On average, a person with healthy digestion will poop anywhere between every other day to three times a day.
Any less could suggest possible constipation. The Bristol stool chart is an overarching indicator of how and why different types of poops look or feel a certain way. Appearance: Hard and separate little lumps that look like nuts and are hard to pass. Indicates: Doctors also consider this a normal poop that should happen every 1 to 3 days. Appearance: Small, like the first ones, but soft and easy to pass; the blobs also have clear cut edges. Indicates: This too-soft consistency could be a sign of mild diarrhea.
Try drinking more water and electrolyte-infused beverages to help improve this. Even a hint of green is considered healthy. But if your poop is veering toward other ends of the rainbow, you might want to assess. While hints of green are quite normal , if your poop has gone from brown to full green, it may mean one of two things. Pale poop could also be a side effect of certain medications like antidiarrhea medicine.
Either way, if it continues, consult a doctor. If your stool is a little red, however, there may be no need to immediately fret. There are other, less serious reasons for this change in color. Foods like beets, cranberries, red gelatin, or tomato juice can turn poop red as well. Greasy, stinky, yellow stool is typically a sign of too much fat.
If your poop looks bright yellow, it could signify a condition called giardiasis , which is caused by an intestinal parasite in North America and the world. This article discusses the meaning of different types of poop—from stool that is yellow, green, pale, dark, or red, to stool that is pebble-shaped or that contains mucus.
Keep in mind that you should always talk to your healthcare provider about any new or concerning symptoms. Stool that has suddenly become yellow can also be a sign of an intestinal infection, particularly if you also have diarrhea, fever, flu-like symptoms, or stomach cramps. Giardiasis , a small intestine infection caused by the parasite Giardia lamblia , can also lead to yellow stool or diarrhea.
In some cases, yellow poop can mean there is excess fat in the stool—a condition known as steatorrhea. This can be caused by anything that disrupts the intestinal lining, such as celiac disease or disorders that affect the pancreas, liver, or gallbladder.
Steatorrhea usually looks greasy and may be foul-smelling, frothy, or float in the toilet bowl. It often sticks to the side of the bowl and is difficult to flush away.
There are some common reasons for green stool. Eating lots of leafy vegetables like kale or spinach can give stool a greenish color. But this is normal, and it shouldn't stop you from getting your fill of these antioxidant-rich foods. Iron supplements and food coloring, including green, purple, and blue dye, can also turn feces an emerald color.
Conditions that speed up intestinal activity, such as a bowel disorder or food poisoning, can also lead to green stool. In women, green stool may occur at certain times during pregnancy. Although normal stool shape and frequency varies from person to person, if your stool sinks quickly, you may not be getting enough fluids or fiber in your diet.
This type of stool is often dark because it stays in the intestines longer. The FDA recommends a fiber intake of 28 grams per day. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans, unsalted nuts and seeds are all great sources of fiber. If your stool floats every now and then, it's probably not something to worry about.
Most likely, the stool just has an increased amount of gas in it. This can happen after consuming carbonated drinks, beans, and sugary foods. Some gastrointestinal disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome IBS can cause floating stool as well. However, stool that consistently floats may be a sign that your body is not absorbing fat properly.
When this happens, you may have steatorrhea. Stool excreted in small pieces is sometimes called pebble or pellet stool. Fiber forms a gel in the intestines when it is fermented by bacteria in the colon and combined with water. If there is a lack of fiber holding stool together, it may be shaped like small pebbles. Upping your fiber intake may help; to do this, slowly increase your intake to the recommended daily value of 28 grams.
If you are finding it difficult to consume this amount with fiber-rich foods, consider adding a fiber supplement. Loose stool diarrhea lasting a couple of days or less is common and usually isn't serious. It can be triggered by a number of different foods, supplements, and medications. For example, consuming too much fructose—a sugar found in honey and many soft drinks and processed foods—can cause loose stool. Another common cause of loose stool is a gastrointestinal infection—otherwise known as the stomach flu.
If your bowel movements are dry, hard to pass, or infrequent occurring less than three times a week , you may have constipation. Certain medications and conditions can result in constipation.
But, for many people, the cause is a lack of dietary fiber. Legumes and raspberries are just some of the foods that can help constipation. In some cases, natural remedies may also help. Mucus is a thick, jellylike substance that lubricates your intestines, protecting them from stomach acid, bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It also makes bowel movements slippery and easy to pass. Although mucus is commonly found in stool, you normally don't notice it because it tends to be clear.
If you start seeing mucus in your stool or notice that the mucus is white or yellow, mention it to your healthcare provider at your next visit. In some cases, it could be a sign of inflammation or irritation in the intestinal wall due to an underlying health issue. Excessive straining when you are on the toilet can result in a stool that is long and thin.
Bearing down causes the anal muscle to contract and narrows the opening of the anus. Stool that is squeezed through the narrowed opening is thin. Consistently thin stools, however, could signal a medical problem. Any condition that obstructs the bowels, such as benign rectal polyps, hemorrhoids, prostate enlargement, or cancer of the colon, rectum, or prostate could cause pencil-thin stool.
Bile salts in the intestines give stool its usual brown color. Stool that is light-colored either pale, white, grey, or clay-colored could indicate a lack of bile in the stool.
A blockage of the bile ducts from gallstones, or a condition affecting your gallbladder, liver, or pancreas, can cause decreased bile output. If you notice that your stools are white, clay-colored, or chalky grey, you should see your healthcare provider, especially if the color continues beyond a few days.
When there is steatorrhea, pale or light-colored stool may also be shiny or greasy, floating, and foul-smelling. Additionally, stool may become temporarily pale after a barium enema test. Anytime you have changes in your bowel habits that are accompanied by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or pain in your abdomen, you should see your healthcare provider right away.
Sometimes, stool changes that do not resolve within a few days can be a sign of a serious underlying condition. Seeing undigested food in your stool on occasion typically isn't anything to worry about. Certain plant foods, such as corn and grape skins, are often recognizable in stool. That's because the human body lacks the enzymes needed to digest certain parts of plant cell walls. Eating more slowly and chewing each bite thoroughly can help.
If you see undigested food in your stool regularly and you also have other changes in your bowel habits, like diarrhea or stomach cramps, it's a good idea to consult with your healthcare provider. Bright red stool can be caused by beets, cranberries, tomato juice or soup, or products containing red food coloring, like Kool-Aid or red licorice. Red medicines, such as amoxicillin, may also turn stool red.
If there is blood in your stool, the color depends on where the bleeding takes place in the digestive tract. Blood from the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract, such as the stomach or esophagus, will look dark by the time it exits the body as a bowel movement.
Blood that is bright red is more likely to come from the lower gastrointestinal tract, such as the large intestine or rectum. This may be caused by hemorrhoids, anal fissures, ulcerative colitis , diverticulosis, or colon cancer , among other conditions. Blood in the stool doesn't always appear bright red. It may include undigested food particles, bacteria, salts, and other substances. Sometimes, poop can vary in its color, texture, amount, and odor.
These differences can be worrying, but usually, these changes are not significant and will resolve in a day or two. Other times, however, changes in poop indicate a more serious condition. Keep reading to discover more about the different types of poop, including what is and is not normal. Devised by doctors in the Bristol Royal Infirmary, England, and based on the bowel movements of nearly 2, people, the Bristol stool chart characterizes the different types of poop as shown above.
Types 1 and 2 indicate constipation , types 3 and 4 are considered healthy stool, while types 5 to 7 suggest diarrhea and urgency. Stools that are black, especially if they have the appearance of coffee grounds, suggest gastrointestinal bleeding. Substances such as iron supplements, black licorice, black stout, and bismuth medications also cause black poop.
If stools are white, gray, or pale, a person may have an issue with the liver or gallbladder as pale stools suggest a lack of bile. Some anti-diarrhea medications cause white stools. Spinach, kale , or other green foods can cause green poop. However, green-colored stool may be a sign that there is too much bile and not enough bilirubin in the poop.
Poop that is red-colored may be the result of gastrointestinal bleeding. Small amounts of blood in the stool can indicate hemorrhoids.
Eating beets or red berries, or drinking beet or tomato juice, also turns poop red. Once these foods have passed through the digestive tract, poop should become brown again. Consuming many orange-colored foods, which are rich in a pigment called beta-carotene , causes orange stool. However, blocked bile ducts or certain medications including some antacids and the antibiotic rifampin can cause orange poop.
If stool appears yellow or is greasy-looking, it suggests the poop contains too much fat. This may be the result of absorption issues, or difficulty producing enzymes or bile. Most people will experience variations in stool color at some stage.
Usually, this is down to diet or some other minor cause. However, anyone who experiences changes in poop color that last for 2 or more weeks or has red or black stool should see their doctor.
Digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS , can be triggered or exacerbated by stress. In some people, it can manifest as diarrhea and in others as constipation.
Not drinking enough water and other fluids can lead to constipation, as stool requires moisture to be able to move through the digestive tract.
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