Get the Scoop on Your Poop
follows that you would also need to eliminate daily too. Anything less than that indicates that the food is not being assimilated, resulting in diarrhea, or the food has become stagnant, resulting in constipation.
Stool Color By Dr. Patrick Giammarise, DC, IHS W
ait. Hold that flush—if just long enough to look at the contents in your toilet bowl.
Really? Yes, because what you excrete can tell you volumes, not only about the health of your digestion system but also about your overall internal health. For example, if your gastrointestinal tract is not functioning properly, you may have stools that are difficult to pass or just the opposite—loose, frequent bowel movements. Or you may have abnormal shapes, texture, colors, and smell. There are four basic characteristics to observe—regularity, color, consistency, and shape. Here’s a quick look at what’s normal and when it’s time for concern.
Stool Regularity While professional opinions
differ, many agree that normal bowels are regular bowels. If you eat three or more times a day, as most of us do, logic
The food we eat, bile levels, and transit time are all factors that contribute to stool color.
Medium shades of brown are best. You can remember this by thinking, “MBBM is normal.” Even brownish-green is considered normal from eating green foods unless the green comes from excessive diarrhea. A consistently dark-brown stool may indicate a sluggish colon and an imbalance of intestinal bacteria. Yellowish or greenish stools that are greasy and foul smelling may be due to malabsorption disorders, such as celiac disease, or parasites such as giardia when accompanied by diarrhea. Yellowish stools may be seen with severe diarrhea, antibiotic use, and a lack of probiotics.
Green-colored stools may indicate gallbladder malfunction or insufficient stomach acid.
Tan-colored stools suggest you may have difficulty digesting your fats, which causes
congestion in the liver and gallbladder.
Gray/White, Ashy-colored or claylike stools can indicate pancreas or liver problems.
Also, possibly gallstones, pancreatitis, or cirrhosis of the liver.
Red, Dullish-colored stools may be from eating red foods, such as beets, and may also be related to certain medications. But red can also indicate diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, and bleeding in the lower GI tract.
Black, Tar-like stools are in need of urgent care because that is a sign of dangerous, deadly internal bleeding in the upper GI tract. Sometimes black stools may be produced with iron supplements, a heavy meat dish, bismuth (Pepto-Bismol), and some other types of drugs.
Stool Consistency Observing the consistency of your bowel movements also can yield important information about your health.
Naturopathic Doctors are trained to serve as primary care general practitioners who are experts in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of both acute and chronic health conditions.
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