What Your Poop Says About Your Health

If the eyes are the window to the soul, consider your poop the window to your digestive health. From how often you go to the smell and physical appearance of your waste, it’s important to know what your poop says about your health.

THE IDEAL APPEARANCE

The appearance of your stool can vary from day to day and depends on the foods you eat. But if the shape of your poop rarely looks “normal,” it could be a major sign that something is up.

Normal poop is a variable description, but for the most part, doctors classify this way as brown poop, which is soft to firm in texture and easy to pass. The shape is typically a long cylinder and there should be no pain or bleeding.

THE SEVEN TYPES OF POOP

What does your poop look like? (Anamaria Sabino/)

Type 1 and 2 poop
According to the chart, poop types one and two are typically molded into individualized hard lumps or a lump of lumpy stool.

Lumps of hard stool that are difficult to pass (such as Bristol Type 1) are suggestive of constipation. This type of poop can be difficult or painful to pass due to a lack of water in your stool if you are dehydrated.

The recommendation is to add more water and fiber into your diet to help move things along.

Type 3 and 4 poop
Types 3 and 4 are the target. They mean you have a good microbiome and are hitting your daily 25 grams of fiber and drinking enough fluids.

The shape of these stools is similar to, well, a sausage. They have minimal cracks and are easy to iron which suggests you are getting enough fluids and fiber in your daily diet. Typically, the frequency of healthy bowel movements with these types of poops is no more than three times a day.

Tips for achieving these #poopideals include avoiding processed foods, drinking plenty of water, eating fibrous foods, and staying active. You can also try adding prebiotic and probiotic foods to your diet, such as kombucha or yogurt.

Poop type 5, 6 and 7
Stool types five through seven are similar in that they are all softer and closely resemble diarrhea. Type five stool may have some form of a bubble, but will generally be loose and easy to pass. Type six is ​​even softer, while type seven is even more liquid.

Poop shapes on this end of the chart spectrum can suggest food intolerances and sensitivities or more serious intestinal issues.

It could also mean irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is the most common of all digestive problems.

Not all loose or watery stools, however, are necessarily related to overt inflammation.

Loose, pasty stools (think: type five poop) are usually caused by a lack of fiber or something new you ate. For example, if your stomach churns, groans, or requires the first urge to go to the bathroom after eating ice cream, it could mean that you are lactose intolerant and transient diarrhea could result. Food poisoning can also result in forms of poop that reflect types six or seven.