How Often Should You Poop? Frequency Matters (Research)

“I hope this work opens up doctors’ minds a little bit about the potential risks of not monitoring bowel frequency,” Sean Gibbons, the study’s lead author, told AFP, adding that doctors often view irregular bowel movements as “just an annoyance.”

Gibbons and his team collected clinical, lifestyle and biological data, including blood chemistry, gut microbiome and genetics, from more than 1,400 healthy adults with no evidence of active disease.

Self-reported bowel movement frequency was divided into four groups: constipation (one or two bowel movements per week), low normal (three to six per week), high normal (one to three per day), and diarrhea.

When feces remain in the intestines for too long, bacteria, instead of absorbing the available fiber, ferment the proteins, producing toxins.

“We found that even in healthy people who are constipated, there are increased levels of toxins in the bloodstream” that are particularly harmful to the kidneys, Gibbons explains.

In cases of diarrhea, the team found clinical chemistry tests indicating liver inflammation and damage.

Gibbons explained that during diarrhea, the body releases excess bile acid, which the liver processes to dissolve and absorb dietary fats.

Gut bacteria known as “strict anaerobes” and associated with good health thrive in one or two bowel movements per day, although more research is needed to confirm this.

To achieve this frequency, Gibbons says you need to eat fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly and eat a diet that’s mostly vegetables.

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