How Often Should You Poop?
Are you supposed to poop every day?
While humans do come in many shapes and sizes, we are all healthiest when we fully empty our colon each and every day. However, due to certain lifestyles and habits, many do not produce stool every day and are left wondering what the normal bowel movement frequency is.
So, how often should you have a bowel movement?
Ideally, most people should produce at least one large stool (roughly 6 to 12 inches in length) daily, although two to three times a day is often necessary to fully empty the colon.
In addition to how often you should poop, it’s also important to consider what type of stool you are producing. The Bristol Stool Chart (see below) is a medical aid that was designed to classify human feces into seven types. Generally, if you have Type 1 or Type 2, you are constipated. If you have Type 3, your bowels aren’t being emptied enough, and you are likely dehydrated. Type 4 is ideal.
The causes of constipation are numerous: hormonal, dietary, anatomical, a side effect of medication, poisoning by heavy metals, liver and/or gallbladder problems, a lack of physical activity, or even an emotional decision, to name a few.
Constipation due to a hormonal imbalance is very common in women. According to constipation research published by the National Institutes of Health, women are especially likely to experience constipation during pregnancy and during the premenopausal period due to fluctuations in hormones.
Hormonal constipation is not likely to be cured simply by following the common prescription of adding more fiber to the diet. However, increasing dietary fiber and supporting the liver with herbs, in addition to optimizing hormone levels based on the individual-specific results of a female hormone panel, can generally provide relief.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can also cause constipation. IBS is often caused by a gluten, lactose, or casein intolerance. For some, simply giving up the offending foods relieves the constipation.
Pharmaceutical drugs also can often cause constipation. Dietary changes, exercise, optimizing hormone levels (in both women and men), and regular sleep often allows one to need fewer drugs, or even no drugs at all, which can in turn eliminate the constipation.
If you have Type 5, 6, or 7 stools, your body is likely working to get rid of a slight-to-extreme bacterial infection or other irritant, and as soon as it does, you will return to Type 4 stools. If your body doesn’t adjust back to Type 4, you could be looking at an infection or a bowel disease. If you continually have a Type 5 to Type 7 bowel movement, consider a Gastrointestinal Health Panel as these types of bowel movements are not healthy.
With any type of bowel movement, enema therapy and/or colon hydrotherapy can assist your bowel back to optimal health. If you need support unraveling the cause of your constipation or still have questions, like how often should you poop, please don’t hesitate to contact the Optimal Health Network for support.
And check out this video from Kristina Amelong for more information on how often you should poop!
