Bowel Movements: The Scoop on Poop
Color, Consistency, and Frequency
by Matt Bolinger, MD
What is it, and why does it stink?
Feces, or poop, is the waste product of human digestion. Everyone would agree that no two poops are alike. Human feces will vary in color, shape, texture, and smell depending on our diet, hydration level, intestinal flora, and state-of-health. Normal bowel movements consist mainly of water and include undigested food residue, intestinal epithelial cells that have sloughed off, fiber, mucus, bacteria, and metabolic waste.
The bacteria present in your intestinal tract are the cause of the smell of feces. They consume food residue in your feces and produce gas as a byproduct. High meat and animal product diets tend to increase the stench of the gas and feces due to the increased sulfur that reaches these scavengers. High fiber diets tend to increase the volume of gas produced by intestinal bacterium. Not chewing your food properly can lead to poor digestion and an increase in gas.
Color
The color of human feces will vary depending on our diet, defecation frequency, bile production, and state-of-health. Most shades of brown and green feces could be considered normal. Bile is a yellow-green fluid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder that helps digest fats. As bile travels through the digestive tract, it is altered by digestive enzymes and the green pigments are changed to brown. Some who take green supplements (green powder, alfalfa, wheat grass, barley grass, etc.) frequently experience green shaded bowel movements. Some research suggests that the chlorophyll containing plants in these supplements help to remove toxins and heavy metals from the intestinal tract.
| Color | Possible Cause |
| Brown | Generally considered normal. Multiple shades of brown can be seen in the same bowel movement. This is due to enzyme actions on bile. |
| Green | Generally considered normal. Increased consumption of green leafy vegetables and green plant powders frequently causes green colored feces. Certain food colorings and iron supplements can also cause green colored feces. |
| Black | Bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract can be a cause of black, or tarry, feces. Other possible causes can be ingestion of iron supplements, bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol), or black licorice. |
| Yellow | A decreased ability to absorb fats in the diet can lead to yellow colored feces. Infections with certain intestinal parasites can lead to this decreased absorption. |
| Bright Red | Bright red blood in the stool can be caused by bleeding in the lower intestinal tract (colon, rectum, or anus). Most often this bleeding is caused by hemorrhoids and tears in the rectum. Red feces can also be caused by the consumption of red food colorings, beets, cranberries, and tomato products. |
| White or Clay | This is generally an indication of decreased bile in the feces. This can be caused by some medications, hepatitis, or bile duct obstructions. |
Consistency
Most of us have experienced every type of stool consistency described in the Bristol Stool Chart below. Alternative Health Practitioners agree, on the whole, that for the purposes of detoxification and longevity, types five and six should be the goal. The type of fecal consistency one generally experiences is in direct relation to the amount of time the feces spends in the intestinal tract. Most Americans have a stool consistency of types one to four on the chart, indicating dehydration and an excessive amount of time in the intestinal tract. Bowel movements that have spent the time it takes to form these harder stools have spent too much time in the intestines.
A well formed stool almost always means constipation. We should all shoot for bulky, non-formed bowel movements that are easily expelled, but not runny. With adequate pure water intake and natural fiber, this can be achieved by consistently having two to three bowel movements each day, or one bowel movement for each meal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bristol_Stool_Chart.png
Frequency
As stated in the section on consistency, for optimum health and detoxification we should strive for two to three bowel movements each day, or one bowel movement for each meal. Most Americans fall within the range of three bowel movements each day to one bowel movement every three days and the average is probably somewhere around one movement every day. One bowel movement each day could be considered constipation and is not optimum. Feces sitting in the intestinal tract this long is too long. Toxins that the body is attempting to expel tend to be reabsorbed when in the tract for extended periods of time.
Tips to Improve Consistency and Frequency of Bowel Movements
- Increase the frequency of bowel movements to two (2) to three (3) each day
- Use a quality herbal stimulant (Sennara or Bowel Maintenance)
- Increase fiber intake
- Increase pure water consumption
- Decrease salt intake
- Increase deliberate exercise
Miscellaneous Poop Topic (For Expectant Mothers)
“What in the heck is that” is a new mother’s usual response when they see meconium for the first time. Meconium is the earliest stools of an infant. It is composed of materials ingested prior to birth, epithelial cells, mucus, bile, and water. It is viscous and tar-like. This sticky substance has no odor and is sterile. It should be completely passed within a few days after birth.
Meconium
Thank you for such excellent information. I had been wondering about my health and what I needed to do. This is a very informative article which answers many questions a person really doesn’t want to ask nor really knows how to ask.