Talking about what a healthy person's stool should be like can be taboo. But this is why many people miss the signs and symptoms that something is wrong with their gastrointestinal system.
ContentWhat a healthy person’s stool should be like: medium-dark color. No signs of blood. What a healthy person’s stool should be like: not watery. What else? pay attention
Changes in stool can signal a wide range of underlying conditions: poor nutrition, infection, organ problems, digestive disorders and cancer are just a few examples. The color, consistency, shape and frequency of your stool can give clues about the inner workings of your body. WomanEL will list the signs that you are on the right path to a thriving gastrointestinal system and good gut health.
What should a healthy person's stool look like: medium-dark color
Doctors say that the color of the stool can tell you whether he is healthy or not. Lynn Poston, MD, explains that your bowel movements should be “brown to light brown in color, not grey, yellow, black or red.”
“Sometimes the stool takes on the color of food or drink, but this is temporary,” she tells Best Life. “Bilirubin, a pigment in processed red blood cells, gives stool its color.”
No sign of blood
“Bright red blood may indicate bleeding from the lower intestine, such as the colon.” Natasha Chhabra, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Associates in New Jersey, says:While dark or bright blood isn't always a cause for concern—”both can be caused by something you've eaten,” says Chhabra—if you notice this symptom, it's a good idea to consult a gastroenterologist.
< h2 id="%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%b9-%d0%b4%d0%be%d0%bb%d0%b6%d0%b5%d0%bd- %d0%b1%d1%8b%d1%82%d1%8c-%d1%81%d1%82%d1%83%d0%bb-%d1%83-%d0%b7%d0%b4%d0% be%d1%80%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%be%d0%b3%d0%be-%d1%87%d0%b5%d0%bb" class="rb-heading-index-2 wp -block-heading">What a healthy person’s stool should be like: not watery
Watery stools indicate that waste is passing through the intestines too quickly. Water is not reabsorbed by the body and is lost in the stool. Loose, watery, and frequent stools suggest diarrhea. There are a number of possible underlying causes, including infection, diet, medications, or gastrointestinal conditions such as colitis.
If you experience diarrhea or watery stools, the Mayo Clinic recommends drinking plenty of fluids. Eat simple semi-solid foods and low fiber foods. Avoid fatty foods and talk to your doctor about antidiarrheal medications.
What else to pay attention to
< img src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/c1b8f29c94c72a3ef5fc3b725280bc0f.jpg" />How to understand that you have healthy digestion, Source: freepik.com
Your bowel movements are healthy if:
- They don't swim. If your stool floats and has a greasy consistency, it may indicate malabsorption of nutrients or a gastrointestinal infection. However, floating stool rarely indicates a health problem if it is the only symptom. Most often this is due to changes in diet or increased gas formation in the intestines.
- They retain their shape. The stool breaks up a bit when you flush the toilet, which means it's not too hard.
- You defecate without straining. If you regularly strain during bowel movements, this can cause certain complications, including hemorrhoids, fissures, muscle or nerve damage.
- You don't even have to flush them away: the stool itself moves into the pipe. This happens when you have a lot of fiber and essential fatty acids.
- Doesn't contain a lot of mucus. Large amounts of mucus in the stool associated with diarrhea can be caused by certain intestinal infections. Bloody mucus in your stool or mucus accompanied by abdominal pain may indicate more serious conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or even cancer.
- You have regular bowel movements. Normal bowel movements range from once a day to once every few days, depending on the person. Sudden changes in frequency may signal underlying problems, such as dietary changes or gastrointestinal distress.
Want to improve your gut health? Then start doing the following things in the evening before going to bed.