READ ON: Decoding Poop's Facts And Fallacies

As an infamous children's book puts it, everyone poops. But we hardly ever talk about it. When was the last time you sat down and talked to a friend—or even your doctor—about what your poop looks like, smells like, or even sounds like? If you're like most people, the answer is never.

That silence hasn't just left us in the dark about our toilet-time activities, it's also allowed for some pretty pervasive (and mostly untrue) myths about what makes a "healthy" poo.

We consulted to a poopologist (okay, a gastroenterologist) to decode those crappy myths. Here, everything you never wanted to know about poop.



Myth: Healthy people poop once a day

This is the myth that won't die, despite a total lack of scientific evidence supporting it. At the end of the day, we define anything less than three times a week as abnormal. But any pattern can be healthy as long as your frequency doesn't impact your quality of life.

Myth: It's bad to hold your poop

While it probably won't make you feel great, holding in your poop won't cause any harm. It's good to have the ability to hold it in until there's a socially acceptable place and time. Just don't make a habit of stifling your urges. Nurses, teachers, or truck drivers, for example, or people who are afraid to go at work—can get into bad habits that cause constipation or dysfunction in the muscles used for pooping because they hold too much and this is you want to avoid.

Truth: It's normal for poop to smell bad

No matter what, poop is going to stink. But the smell quality of your bowel movements does change depending on your diet. The more veggies you put in, the less it will smell. Herbivore leavings smell much better than a carnivore's. Still, if your poop goes from kind of smelly to off the charts unbearable, there might be something wrong. That can be a sign that you're not digesting food properly.




Myth: It's important to cleanse your colon

Once and for all, your colon doesn't need cleansing. Depleting the stores of healthy bacteria in your colon through a prolonged cleanse can lead to cramping, bloating, nausea, and electrolyte abnormalities. Your colon is meant to have stool in it at all times. Unless your colon needs a cleanse for medical reasons, you leave the poor thing alone.

Myth: There's such thing as a "perfect" poop

The idea that poop should be perfect is just something for those anal retentives among us. And it's normal for people to have a range of types—which are officially classified on the Bristol Stool Scale (yes, that exists) from types 1 (hard little rabbit pellets)  to 7 (liquid). None of the types are bad, unless you're straining too hard or worry about making it to a bathroom in time. The only true problem is if your poop is consistently skinny. That could be a sign of hemorrhoids or colon cancer.

Truth: Poop shouldn't float

If you remember your middle school science, you know anything denser than water is going to sink. If you notice your poop is floating every time you go, make an appointment with a gastroenterologist. This can be a sign that you're not absorbing fat and oil properly. However, occasional floaters are nothing to worry about. If you eat something that causes a lot of gas, it'll float. That's just a reflection of your diet for the day.




Myth: White foods are good for diarrhea

While some white foods—like rice and toast—may help, there are others you definitely want to stay away from—like milk and cheese. In fact, there isn't a single diet 100% known to help diarrhea, despite doctors prescribing the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, tea, or toast) to kids for decades. The only thing that definitely helps, is to make sure you stay really well hydrated. But that doesn't mean you should guzzle a gallon of Gatorade or even put in your 8 cups of water that day. Neither will help your body regain the salt and potassium you've lost through your bowels. Instead, whip up a batch of the World Health Organization's Oral Rehydration Solution—1 liter of water, 6 teaspoons of sugar, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Sip the solution throughout the day, making sure you're putting in twice as much as you're losing.

Myth: Pooping takes a long time

Although the magazine rack sitting beside your toilet suggests otherwise, taking a long time in the bathroom probably has more to do with what's distracting you while in the john. (Struggling to beat that level of Candy Crush?) We were set up since we were cavemen to be able to squat quickly and then keep going. But don't worry if it takes you a little longer to let loose, everyone is different. But you shouldn't strain all the time; if you do, talk to your gastroenterologist about possible causes and solutions.

Myth: Healthy poop doesn't splash

Stop listening to your poop. There’s no particular sound your poop should make when it hits the toilet bowl.

Truth: Poop should usually be brown

Doctors don't like red, purple, or black. Those colors usually indicate blood. (Or it could be the beets or cherries you ate, so think about what you had for lunch before you freak out.) White or clay-colored poop mean there's a blockage in your bile duct. And the super rare silver, means a tumor has latched on to the opening of the bile duct. On occasion the color may vary for perfectly natural reasons. Sometimes you'll see yellow or green. Those colors result from bile that's secreted up by the gall bladder and liver area, and should clear up by your next trip to the facilities.


Source: Prevention