Everyone poops. Some of us get embarrassed about it. Some of us don’t care. Someone built an empire on it. And even successful people do it at work.
But it doesn’t matter when you poop, where you poop, or how you feel about pooping… because your poop is trying to send you messages about your health every time you go.
Recently, I was able to spend some time with Naveen Jain of Viome and we made this video to help you understand the connection between your poop, your microbiome, and your health. Here’s a link to an interview I did with Naveen as well as a fun skit we did about his product Viome.
Butt, I mean, but, you don’t have to send your stool for scientific analysis to being understanding, and benefitting, from the health advice in your toilet.
There are 4 basic components to help you understand and assess what your poop is telling you about your health.
Normal bowel habits are different for each person – you know what’s regular for you. But these guidelines will help you understand what your poop is trying to tell you.
Frequency
Some people poop once a day and some people poop after every meal… but if you’re only having a BM once or twice a week, you’re constipated.
Drinking more water, moving around more, and adding some fiber to your diet can help. But if you don’t start pooping more, you should call your doctor because constipation can be the first sign your body sends you when something is wrong.
Consistency
The Bristol Stool chart is the Rosetta Stone for decoding the hidden messages in your poop.
Ok… maybe not quite that dramatic, but it IS a great tool to help you describe and analyze what your poop is telling you about your health.
It’s divided into the following 7 types of stool:
Type 1 – looks like rocks/ nuts – you’re probably dehydrated, need more fiber in your diet, or have an imbalance of gut bacteria
Type 2: similar to jerky – try drinking more water and consuming more fiber
Type 3: think of dates (the fruit, you weirdo) – congratulations… your poop is in the normal range!
Type 4: looks like banana – this is the OPTIMAL POOP TYPE, good for you!
Type 5: similar to a mushy banana – you’re still in the “ok” range
Type 6: imagine canned cat food – this is diarrhea and you may want to up your water and electrolyte intake
Type 7: looks like canned lentil soup or even more watery than that – if this persists go see your doctor
Color
Poop gets its color from bile salts. Healthy stool falls in the brow to greenish-brown range. However, you may see other colors in the toilet. If that happens, here’s what your poop may be trying to tell you:
Black – caused by iron supplements, eating licorice, intestinal bleeding, green vegetables or green food coloring, or food moving through your system too quickly
Pale/ white – something might be off with your liver/ biliary system, bile pigment isn’t getting into the stool
Red – maybe it’s something you ate or drank… beets, cranberry, or tomato juice, red food coloring, or lower intestinal bleeding
Orange – foods high in beta carotene like carrots, winter squash, and sweet potato can be the cause, as well as medicine like Rifampin or antacids containing aluminum hydroxide
Yellow – yellow stool tends to also float and can indicate a problem with fat digestion, an inflammatory condition, or problems with the pancreas… call your doctor if you have yellow floaters
Smell
You know what your poop smells like.
But if there’s a change in your regular smell – it can indicate gastrointestinal bleeding or a problem with inflammation if the odor is noticeably foul or pungent.
What causes weird poop?
Most of the time, if you experience a change in your regular bowel movements, it will be temporary. So many factors like diet, medication, and travel impact your body and the proof is in your poop.
But when you notice major changes or ongoing shifts in your stool it’s a good reason to call your doctor.
Your poop is constantly showing you how to adjust your lifestyle to optimize your health. Your body is an incredible machine and healthy bowel movements are a very natural part of the process.
You are health and your body is always trying to remind you of that.
Even when it’s something as simple, natural, and awkward as going to the bathroom.
You have the power and the tools to live your best life. Now go use them!
To your health,
Dr. Kien
PS — Has your poop helped you discover an imbalance or disease? If so, what did you do about it? I’d love to hear your story!
