What Your Poo Is Trying To Tell You: Decoding Your Digestive Health
Did you know that the average person poops about 1 ounce (28g) of stool for every 12 pounds (336g) of body weight per day? That might sound astonishing, but the real shocker lies in what this fascinating fact implies. Your poo is not just waste: it’s a mirror reflecting your health. Understanding your bowel movements can unlock vital clues about your digestive health and indicate underlying health issues you may not be aware of. In this comprehensive blog post, we will dive deep into the world of poo, helping you decode the messages your body is trying to send. Whether you’re dealing with constipation, diarrhoea, or simply curious about your digestive tract, stick around to find the some answers.
The Basics of Stool Composition
To understand what your poo is telling you, it’s crucial to first grasp the basic elements that make up your stool. Approximately 75% of your stool is water, while the remaining 25% consists of dietary fibre, bacteria, dead cells, and various waste products. The intricate balance of these components dictates the texture, colour, and consistency of your stool. Let’s break it down further:
Water: The amount of water in your stool significantly impacts its hardness or softness. When you’re dehydrated, your body pulls more water from your intestines, resulting in hard, dry stools. Conversely, when well-hydrated, stools tend to be softer and easier to pass.
Fibre: A diet rich in fibre fosters healthy bowel movements. There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre dissolves in water, forming a gel-like substance, while insoluble fibre helps push waste through your digestive tract.
Bacteria: A healthy gut comprises billions of microscopic bacteria that assist in digestion, synthesizing certain vitamins, and completing the digestion of food, and the absorption of nutrients. Lots of vital processes take place, which is why gut health is so important for how you feel.
Being aware of the function of each component provides the basic knowledge necessary for interpreting what you see in the loo!
Understanding Stool Colours
The colour of your poo is one of the most telling signs of your digestive health. Variations can indicate several different conditions:
Brown: healthy stool should typically be brown. The colour comes from bile salts, which are produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder to assist in fat digestion.
Green: this can indicate an increase in leafy green intake, iron supplements, or, in some cases, a rapid transit time through your intestines.
Yellow: a yellow, greasy stool can signal the presence of excess fat, indicative of malabsorption issues, potentially associated with conditions like coeliac disease.
Black: this may suggest bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, from ulcers or gastritis. It may also be caused by iron supplements or certain medications.
Red: this can indicate bleeding in the lower digestive tract, from hemorrhoids or diverticular disease, while dark red may point to more severe complications.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Understanding more about your poo enables you to tweak your food choices and identify potential issues early. If you’d like to explore more about your digestive health, or you battle with constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, reflux or troublesome digestion, then get in touch for a free chat. If all’s not well, your poop’s messages are too important to ignore!