What Your Poop Says About Your Health - Part 1
Did you know that your poop can give you much information about your gut health?
That may surprise you, but your bowel movements tell you a lot about your gut health. Everything from how often you go, the shape, consistency, the colour, & smell of your poop can provide hints as to what’s going on in your gut.
Factors to consider when it comes to your poop:
Frequency - Ideally, you should be pooping 2-3x per day for optimal elimination of toxins, chemicals, hormones. The root cause of constipation is typically a combination of factors, such as dehydration, poor diet, inactivity, fungal & bacterial overgrowths, parasites, environmental toxins, thyroid & hormonal imbalances, magnesium deficiency, stress & vagal tone dysfunction. If you have a long history of constipation, factors must be investigated to resolve it entirely.
Shape & Consistency – Your poop should be soft & long enough to form a curled-up sausage or snake-like shape in the toilet. According to the Bristol Stool Scale, you want Type 3 (sausage- shaped with just a few cracks on the surface that’s quick & easy to push) or Type 4 (sausage or snake-like, smooth & soft that’s quick & easy to push). You should be able to go to the bathroom in just a few minutes & it should not be a long event. It is a sign of underlying gut dysfunction if you are dealing with straining or long waits.
Colour – Ideally, your poop should be a standard brown colour due to a compound called bilirubin & also bile, which are both a yellowish colour. When these substances mix with your digested food, intestinal secretions, bacteria, & old red blood cells in your digestive tract, they turn your waste brown. If your stool is more of a black, green, white, or red colour, it could mean a few different things, from taking certain supplements or medications, eating certain foods, antibiotics, not absorbing enough nutrients, to more extreme issues like a blocked bile duct, bacterial infections, GI disorders, hemorrhoids, or intestinal bleeding.
Smell – Bacteria & the waste products that collect in your intestines during digestion cause your poop to have a smell, but the foods you eat, especially those high in Sulphur (like broccoli, garlic, cabbage) can contribute to the odour & make it worse. When poop smells especially foul, it can be an indication of an underlying issue such as a bacterial or viral infection, inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies & intolerances.
Be sure to check out our Part 2!
The GI-MAP test is one of the core tests we do at Vagus Clinic. This allows us to create personalized treatment protocols to address your current gut dysfunction. Book a complimentary discovery call with one of our Health Coaches for more information!