The Scoop on your Poop

I don’t know about you but looking at my poop is an obsession.  Why you ask?  It is a barometer of what I might have and what might possibly be on the way.  Since I keep my immune system functioning at a high level by eating cleanly and exercising, I rarely get sick.  So if my bowels are off, it could indicate a cold in my stomach or something else brewing.  The size, texture, and color of your poop can tell you a lot about what's going on in your body. And it will vary depending on lots of factors.

Checking can help you identify problems: digestive issues, structural diseases or an adverse reaction or side effect to a medication. In general, the earlier a problem is discovered or identified, the better the outcome.

If you don’t want to spend too long inspecting what’s in the toilet, there’s a super handy visual tool called the Bristol Stool Chart (also known as the Meyers Scale, Bristol Stool Form Scale, or BSF scale) to help you check everything is as it should be. It was developed in 1997 by a team of researchers at the Bristol Royal Infirmary in the UK.  If something doesn’t look quite right, the Bristol Stool Chart can help you figure out what may be going on.

What exactly is the Bristol Stool Chart?

The Bristol Stool Chart details seven types of poop, ranging from constipation to diarrhea. Basically, it helps patients and doctors identify abnormal poop without having to get too embarrassed about personal details. Patients can better communicate to their doctors the appearance of their bowel movements. Besides being used in the doctor's office, it can be a super helpful chart to use day-to-day to check that things are OK within your digestive tract and body. The goal? To strive for Type 4.

A diet rich in fiber tends to have more formed, brown stools, most commonly seen in Bristol Stool Chart Type 4. If your diet’s low in fiber and water, you might find your poop more consistently look like Types 1 through 3.  However, it’s not just diet that changes how your poop looks. Here are a few other factors that matter:

Hydration

Your poop can tell you if you're drinking enough water.  If you are dehydrated, the large intestine and colon work like dehydrators, pulling water from stools and repurposing it for the body’s use, causing really hard stools.  If your poop looks like Type 1 or Type 2 on the chart, you might need to up your H2O intake. To ensure you’re drinking enough water, carry a water bottle for easy access when you head out for the day.

Medications

Tons of meds can mess with what your poop looks like.  Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in many upset stomach medications) can change the color of your stools to black, as can iron supplements.  Blood pressure medications can cause constipation, while some prescription meds for gout or diabetes can cause the opposite problem.  According to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, other meds that can cause constipation include antidepressants, antacids containing aluminum and calcium, which are commonly used to neutralize stomach acid, diuretics (these help the kidneys remove fluid from the blood), and opiates (prescribed for pain relief). If you have any concerns about your meds affecting your stools, make sure you consult your Doctor.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics can really do a number on your gut, and therefore your poop as well. They can kill bad and good bacteria. Losing your good gut bacteria can drastically alter your stool consistency and frequency and even leave you vulnerable to pathogen invasions.  Always use antibiotics correctly—and seek medical attention should you develop diarrhea post-antibiotics, which could signal an infection.  In most cases, antibiotics only cause a mild case of short-term diarrhea, and normal poop habits resume after treatment ends. Now and then, an antibiotic gets rid of so many of the “good” bacteria in the bowel that the “bad” bacteria are given free reign to cause trouble. In the case of C. difficile, it can produce chemicals that damage the wall of the bowel and lead to colitis, a type of bowel inflammation. Symptoms of this include abdominal pain, cramps, fever, and diarrhea. If you develop diarrhea after taking antibiotics, make sure you seek medical attention.

Autoimmune diseases

Another possible cause of frequent diarrhea is an autoimmune disease, such as celiac, lupus, thyroiditis, or an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.  Digestive problems are common in lupus and it’s not always diarrhea. Sometimes, people with lupus experience constipation, which is often due to the failure of the muscles to properly move waste through the intestines. Digestive issues may also be caused by meds, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids.

Exercise habits

How much you're exercising (or moving in general) can also play a big role in what your poop looks like.  Exercise improves muscle strength and a healthy stool appearance. A sedentary lifestyle greatly intensifies constipation.  Remember, your body needs more hydration when you’re physically active, so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.  In addition, using a small massage ball (spiky preferred) to stimulate your colon reflex as they do in reflexology. The general area is the arches of both feet and the deeper the better.  You will press according to your degree of tolerance.  This action tends to normalize the bowels, i.e. if you have colitis, IBS or diarrhea, they will return to a normal state if you make this type of release work a habit. We practice this in my Release Work Classes and some clients and students have had successful outcomes.  

What if your poop is a different color?

In addition to looking like an optimal Type 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart, healthy poop is also a shade of brown (or sometimes green).  But plenty of factors can change your poop color. Pale or clay-colored stools might be a sign of a problem with your liver or pancreas. Black or red stools may suggest gastrointestinal bleeding.  Even the foods you eat could be to blame. Blueberries may turn the color of your stools to deep blue, and a diet rich in beta carotene (carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc.) may turn your stool orange.  I know when I eat beets, my stools are a pink/red color. So connect what you are eating with your poop color and that will probably solve the mystery 😊  

Cheers to healthy toilet habits!