Experts Say This Is What Healthy Poop Is Supposed to Look Like

Pooping isn’t a topic that comes up regularly in conversation, but it’s a key part of your health – and not just your gut health, but your health in general. How your bowel movements look, how often you go, and how long it takes to go can reveal a lot about what might be going on inside your body. To know the details, as well as the warning signs you should pay attention to when you are on the bathroomwe spoke with three gastroenterologists.

What does a healthy poop look like?

Many doctors use the Bristol Stool Chart to assess stool health. The chart is a form scale, meaning it rates stools based on factors like size and consistency. Stools are graded from 1 to 7, with 1 being the firmest and 7 being completely liquid.

Bristol type 1-2 stool: Rabbit or grape droppings which are quite hard and can be difficult to evacuate.

Bristol type 3-4 stool: Corn cobs or sausages soft and easy to pass stools.

Bristol type 5-7 stool: Pasty to liquid stools which may or may not include solid pieces.

As Dr. Natasha Chhabra, gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey, explains: “The middle of the chart (Bristol 3-4) depicts a healthy BM, usually described as a sausage or snake shape. » Droppings in these categories are also solid, although they may be either smooth or have cracks on the surface.

A healthy poop in Bristol categories 3-4 indicates that someone is getting both enough water and enough fiber in their dietaccording to Dr. Michael Schopis, gastroenterologist and attending physician at Manhattan Gastroenterology. He notes that this type of stool is often easier to pass, whereas “Bristol type 1 to 2 stools are often hard, stoney and difficult to pass, indicating constipation.”

If your stools float, you might have excessive gas, be on a high-fat diet, or have a problem with your gastrointestinal tract. Your poop should flow more often than not.

Color of poop

You should also consider the color of your stool. Dr. Lance Uradomo, an interventional gastroenterologist at Hope Orange County, reports that “healthy droppings can be brown or even greenish but should never be black or contain blood. This could indicate the presence of cancer or other health problems.” If your stools are particularly pale, you may want to discuss the health of your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder with your doctor.

Poop smell

According to Mount Sinai Hospital, smell also plays an important role. Although poop is never supposed to smell pleasant, if it suddenly gives off a new or particularly foul odor, you could be suffering from a condition such as chronic pancreatitis or ulcerative colitis. The good news is that changes to your diet can also produce really stinky stools. So if you only have one BM that smells really bad, it could be from eating or drinking something fermented or consuming a lot of garlic.

How often should you poop?

You probably have someone in your family (if you’re honest, maybe it’s you) who is convinced they need to poop every morning. However, a healthy bowel movement schedule is not the same for everyone. You don’t need to panic if you’re not one of those people who goes to the bathroom like clockwork after their morning coffee.

Uradomo explains: “The term ‘regular’ generally means that a person’s bowel movement frequency continues without any change. In fact, the number of times you poop each week may vary greatly from other people in your household, with no reason to worry.

Schopis says: “Normal bowel movement frequency can vary greatly depending on the person. Pooping every other day up to three to four times a day can be considered regular.”

As a general rule of thumb, Uradomo advises, “Three times a day to three times a week is considered a healthy range.” However, the doctor warns: “It is important to recognize your own usual routine so that if the frequency suddenly changes, you can alert your doctor. »

Is it healthier to poop less or more often?

Chhabra says that how often you poop may be less important than whether you’re pooping enough. She explains: “Having adequate BM [bowel movements] with complete evacuation is a great goal, because having a BM is a way for our body to get rid of toxins and waste. Some can have a daily BM without feeling like they’ve drained themselves. » In other words, having less frequent but complete bowel movements may be healthier than frequent bowel movements.

How often you should poop may also depend on how difficult it is for you to move on to number two. According to Schopis, “If it requires a lot of straining and pushing to have a bowel movement or if you have to spend 30 minutes on the toilet, then it’s probably best that you try pooping more often.” He says you should introduce lifestyle changes to help induce bowel movements in this situation. The Mayo Clinic recommends eating foods high in fiber, staying hydrated, and exercising as natural ways to prevent constipation.

On the other hand, it’s possible to poop too often. “If someone is going four to five times a day, and it’s liquid, and there’s a significant emergency, then that person is probably pooping too much,” Schopis says.

The Mayo Clinic notes that everything from stomach viruses and bacterial infections to lactose intolerance can cause you to poop frequently. Antibiotics can also cause temporary diarrhea.

How long does it take to poop?

It shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to poop. Schopis says, “Ideally, someone should go 5 minutes or less without pushing or straining to have a bowel movement.” Chhabra agrees: “Spending more than a few minutes undergoing BM should raise concerns about constipation, particularly if you’re straining.”

Uradomo offers a little more leeway, saying, “It should take a person in the bathroom between 5 and 15 minutes to have a bowel movement.” It warns that sitting on the toilet for longer periods of time can “lead to problems, such as hemorrhoids, reduced circulation or pelvic floor dysfunction.”

Warning Signs That You May Have an Unhealthy Gut

There are several key signs that you may have a unhealthy gut. These include:

Pain: Frequent pain while pooping can be a cause for concern. This could mean your stools are too hard or there is a larger gastrointestinal problem.

Blood: Blood in the bowl after pooping can also signal an unhealthy gut. Uradomo warns: “Blood in the stool can be caused by a relatively minor problem like hemorrhoids, but it can also be an indicator of cancer, intestinal disease or major internal bleeding. » You should monitor bleeding closely and consult your doctor.

Loss of intestinal control: If you have bowel (fecal) incontinence, you may have weakened rectal or anal muscles. Muscle and nerve damage from childbirth can also affect your ability to control bowel movements.

Black stool: Uradomo warns that black or tarry stools may indicate bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This includes your esophagus, stomach, and small intestine.

Chronic diarrhea: If you often have diarrhea that lasts more than a few days, you may have irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. Celiac disease can also cause frequent, pale diarrhea.

When to talk to your doctor about your bowel movements

Anytime you experience painful bowel movements or an inability to have a bowel movement, it’s worth talking to your doctor. The National Health Service warns that chronic constipation can lead to dangerous fecal impaction, and Healthline recommends seeing a doctor if it’s been a full week without a bowel movement.

Schopis says, “If you find that bowel movements are controlling your life, either due to lack of frequency or excess,” it’s a great idea to see a doctor. Black or bloody droppings also indicate that it is time for a medical evaluation.

How to keep your poop healthy

Sometimes you just need to make lifestyle changes to create healthier bowel habits. For example, make sure to drink enough water. Dehydration can lead to constipation or make your stools more difficult to pass. Chhabra also recommends eating fiber daily in the form of whole fruits and vegetables. She says it “helps keep your stools fuller and easier to pass.”

Specifically, Schopis advises people to aim for 2 to 3 liters of water per day and 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day to achieve healthy, normal bowel movements. In addition to these tips, you may want to consider exercising more to help your gut function properly.

The essentials

You don’t need to poop every day, but you should track your habits and notice any drastic changes. Symptoms like straining to poop or chronic diarrhea are signs that it’s time to make an appointment with your doctor. In the meantime, eating fiber and drinking plenty of water are easy ways to help you poop regularly.