4. Terrible-Smelling Poop May Be a Sign of Infection
It’s no news that poop never smells pleasant, but particularly pungent stool is often a sign of infection, according to Sheth. Terrible-smelling poop along with chronic diarrhea may be a sign of a stomach bug caused by giardia parasites, ingested most often during swims in untreated water in springs, rivers, or lakes.
5. Consistency Is Key When It Comes to Bowel Movements
Do you hit the bathroom at the same exact time every morning, or can you go days before you need to poop? It’s all normal, says Sheth — the important thing is that you’re consistent with your own routine. Generally, anywhere from three bowel movements per day to three a week falls into the normal range.
Cultural differences play a role, too. Sheth notes in his book that people from South Asian countries, like India, pass three times as much stool as people from Britain do, a difference he explains is largely due to the higher fiber content in the average Indian diet.
6. How to Tell if It’s Diarrhea or Constipation
Digestion can take anywhere from 36 to 48 hours, during which time the food you’ve eaten travels down your esophagus to your stomach, then to your small intestine, your large intestine, and out through the anus.
7. Healthy Poop Should Sink in the Toilet
8. It’s Normal to Pass Gas 10 to 18 Times a Day
9. Stool Transplants Can Treat C. difficile Infections
Fecal microbiota transplants are real — and they work. Research shows a fecal transplant — in which stool from a healthy person is placed in the colon of an infected person — is an effective treatment for C. difficile bacterial infection.
The trillions of good bacteria in a healthy person’s poop can recolonize another person’s digestive tract and treat infections that haven’t responded well to other treatments, including antibiotics and probiotics, Sheth says.
Researchers are looking into the potential for fecal transplants to treat other illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), autism, and obesity, but the procedure is currently not approved for these conditions.
10. Watch How Long Your Spend on the Toilet
Most of the time, a diet devoid of fiber, which keeps your bowels regular and prevents constipation and hard poop, is to blame. Most Americans eat 8.7 to 9.7 g of fiber per 1,000 calories per day, but the recommendation is that women should eat 25 g (for a 2,000 calorie diet), while men should aim for 38 g (for a 2,500 calorie diet).
11. Your Cell Phone Might Be Covered With Poop
Since phones tend to travel with us everywhere — especially places where we eat, like kitchen counters, restaurant tables, and desks, to name a few — the E. coli bacteria detected on them may play a role in spreading illness.
The Takeaway
- Poop can reveal important clues about your digestive health, hydration, and diet.
- Color, shape, and consistency matter — sudden or persistent changes may signal an underlying issue.
- Gas, odor, and bathroom frequency vary widely and are often influenced by what you eat.
- Ongoing symptoms like blood in the stool, severe pain, or long-term changes should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
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