Let's Talk About Poop: What Can it Tell You About Your Health?
While it may not be the most popular topic at dinner parties, unless of course you’re in the midst of potty-training a tenacious toddler, the fact of the matter is, poop can be an important indicator of digestive function and overall health. Size, texture, color, smell, frequency—they all offer important insight into digestive issues or dietary needs. But, before we jump to it, be sure to consult your doctor if you have any worries or irregularities that concern you.
First of all, know that a perfect poop will be different for everybody. The same goes with frequency. Some people eliminate three times a day, others only five times a week. A good rule of thumb is if your frequency is consistent and you can get the job done in under a minute without straining and you are feeling well, then you are off to a great start. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what the various types of poop might mean.
Size
A little or a lot?
Size refers to the amount, or mass of your movement. This will change depending on how much you’ve eaten, how things are moving through your system, and overall frequency of your bathrooms visits. Poop is about 75% water and the rest is a combo of fiber and bacteria.
Texture
What should my poop look like?
Like I said, you can learn so much about your digestion from your poop. The whole point of eating, is to nourish your body. But, what if you aren’t absorbing these nutrients? How do you know? Can anything be done to help? First of all, the consistency or texture of your poop tells a lot! It gives you an idea of how long it spent in your bowel before exiting the building. If food speeds through your intestines too quickly, there’s not enough time to fully break everything down, and not enough time to absorb nutrients that are present. At times, you might see recognizable bits of food in the bowel, a sure sign you need some digestive support. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something to compare to?
Ever heard of the Bristol Stool Chart? It’s a helpful tool that was designed to classify stools into seven groups. It’s important when speaking with your nutrition or healthcare professional to be using the same language.
Type 1
Separate hard lumps or pebbles, dry and hard to pass. A sure sign of constipation. Time to add some hydration! Your target is at least a half ounce of water per pound of body weight. If it doesn’t get easier in a couple of weeks, it’s time to reach out for help.
Type 2
Sausage shaped, lumpy, firm and a little dry. A sign that things are getting a little backed up. Keep the hydration going and add some fibrous fruits and veggies such as leafy greens, Brussel sprouts, berries, avocados, and items such as almonds, lentils and chia seeds all have higher fiber content.
Type 3
Like a soft sausage, but with visible cracks. If it’s soft, easy to pass, and the entire job is done in under a minute, then it’s a close runner-up to your target poop.
Type 4
Snake, banana or pencil shaped. Soft, smooth and easy to pass. Bingo! This is your winning poop!
Type 5
Soft blobs, but with defined edges. You are leaning toward diarrhea. This could be an early sign of digestive issues, or simply a funky food you tried, or even a high stress day that has affected your system. No worries unless it persists or gets worse.
Type 6
Mushy & messy, with ragged edges. Definite indicator of diarrhea. Look for other clues like smell and color, and try adding some fibrous foods to bulk up your stool. If this persists for more than a week or so, look for some digestive support or insight from a nutritional practitioner.
Type 7
Watery, thin, no solid pieces. Yep, you’ve got the runs and your stool is moving way too quickly through your digestive tract. Be sure to keep up your water intake so you don’t become dehydrated and reach out to a professional if you can’t get it under control.
Color
What color is my poop supposed to be?
Color of your stool is influenced by several factors including what you’ve eaten, medications or supplements you may be taking, as well as the amount of bile (a yellowish-green fluid that helps breakdown fats) is present in your stool. Typically brown is what you are going for (think poop emoji), but even variances from green to a darker brown is generally fine too.
If you are experiencing other colors of the poop rainbow–yellow, gray, even bright green or blue, read on to learn what those could mean.
Various Colors of the Poop Rainbow
Ever look down into the bowel and wonder, “what the heck did I eat?” Anything from supplements, to food dye, to tomato soup can alter our stool color, but not all should cause worry. Let’s look at various colors and their possible causes.
Green
While this might be alarming, it’s usually a sign that you are eating lots of leafy greens, or food items that contain green food coloring often found in flavored drink mixes. On the flip side, if you haven’t eaten these items, green stool could be a sign that food may be moving too quickly through the intestine. Bile is green and if it doesn’t have time to be absorbed, out it comes. Time to do some investigation to figure out why.
Gray
This may indicate a lack of bile in the stool. This could indicate a blocked bile duct, which should certainly be ruled out, or maybe you had large doses of bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol) in your diet lately. If this persists, consult your health care professional.
Yellow
Often accompanied with a foul smell, this indicates excess fat in the stool. This may be associated with malabsorption disorders such as celiac disease or possible issues with the liver and gallbladder. It’s best to reach out to a health care provider if this happens frequently.
Red
Foods containing red food dyes, red drink mixes or even beets can cause bright red stools. If you haven’t been consuming these, it might be a sign of bleeding in the lower intestinal tract, or rectum from hemorrhoids or possibly straining too hard.
Blue
Blue isn’t a color we often associate with poop, but some strong food dyes can definitely do it. Nothing to worry about, but food dyes offer nothing nutritionally and should be avoided if possible.
Black
Maybe you took an iron supplement, drank some bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) or just ate black licorice – no worries there. But it also could be a sign of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GI), such as the stomach. It’s best to have this checked out right away.
When Should I Seek Help?
It varies person to person, but as a general rule, as long as you are pooping at least every other day, and it is in the normal ranges listed above you should be good. Constipation is generally described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week. If this is you, and it carries on for more than 2 weeks, you should seek help.
On the flip side, if you experience ongoing diarrhea it could be a sign of certain inflammatory conditions, food sensitivities, or digestive tract problems. If you can’t get it under control with the tips above, you may want to dig a little deeper.
Got more questions? Digestion and elimination are a focus for our practitioners. Schedule a one-on-one consultation for personalized guidance.
About the Author
Dagmar is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Low-Carb Nutrition Specialist with a home base in Orange County, CA. After struggling through her own journey of obesity and pre-diabetes she found her stride of optimum health and enjoys helping others find their own path to wellness. Dagmar believes that we must look at the whole person, and not just the parts, to support true health. An avid barefoot beach walker, she also enjoys triathlons, traveling to unique places with her family and presenting on the topic of nutrition and at local schools and community centers. Read more about Dagmar.
The information presented on this website is intended for educational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any specific condition or disease, nor is it medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health conditions or concerns. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change or new health program. Curated Wellness does not take responsibility for any health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content.
References
- Riegler, G., & Esposito, I. (2001). Bristol scale stool form. A still valid help in medical practice and clinical research.Techniques in coloproctology, 5(3), 163–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s101510100019
- Zuckerman, G. R., Trellis, D. R., Sherman, T. M., & Clouse, R. E. (1995). An objective measure of stool color for differentiating upper from lower gastrointestinal bleeding.Digestive diseases and sciences, 40(8), 1614–1621. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02212679
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation/symptoms-causes/syc-20354253
