Let’s face it, there’s no shortage of poo talk out there, but sadly, not all of it is true.
In this article, we’ll dive into the truth about poo and what ‘normal’ actually means. But first, let’s set the scene with some basic poo facts.
Around 75% of poo is made up of water. The remaining 25% made up of solids. 25-55% of the solid part is made up of alive or dead microbes.
The rest is undigested food components (such as fibres and protein), as well as other compounds (such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate), remnants of digestive juices, cholesterol and other fats, and dead cells from the lining of the gut.
Paying attention to your poo – including its colour, shape, and size - can tell you a lot about the inner workings of your gut. It’s like giving your gut a quick health MOT.
1. You should be pooing everyday
False: Pooing anywhere from three times a day to three times a week is considered normal – meaning that your poo routine won’t be reflective of someone else’s.
What matters most is that your poo routine is consistent.
But if you find you’re using the toilet more or less often than usual without an obvious reason, or you’re having other gut symptoms that weren’t there before - such as pain, bloating, or changes in stool consistency - it’s a good idea to book an appointment with your GP.
2. You’re constipated if you don’t poo daily
False: Some people don’t go to the toilet every day – that’s okay. If going to the toilet three times a week is normal for you – that’s okay too.
But if you’re going less than that, it could signal constipation.
Generally, for a diagnosis of constipation you must experience some of the following:
- Straining
- Having lumpy or hard poo (Bristol Stool Form Scale 1-2)
- Having the feeling that you haven’t fully ‘emptied’
- Having the sensation of blockage
3. Poo output is around 130g
True: It’s thought that most people pass about 130g of poo per day.
But research shows it varies a lot. For example, one study showed the average poo output was 127g per day (wet weight) but the range varied from 41-340g per day.
4. Your poo should resemble number 4 on the Bristol Stool Scale (BSFS)
False: The textbook ‘number 4’ poo on the BSFS should encompass the three ‘S’s’ – soft, smooth and squishy. It should also be fully formed, bulky, easy to pass without effort, and enter the toilet bowl in one or a few big pieces – typically 4-8 inches in length.
But if you typically fall between types 3 and 5 and aren’t experiencing any other gut symptoms, there’s no need to worry.
Experiencing the odd harder (1-2 on the BSFS) or looser (6-7 on the BSFS) poo can be due to transient factors such as what you’ve eaten (e.g. a rich or heavy meal) or how you’re feeling (e.g. stress) – this is normal.
It’s also normal for your poo habits to shift a bit when you’re on holiday. New environments, time zones, routines, and foods can all influence how your gut behaves.
5. A healthy poo should sink
False: Poo normally sinks, but for some, floating poo is more common.
The large intestine (where poo is formed) is a major source of gas production (thanks to gut microbes). But some gut microbes are gassier than others.
If your gut has more gas-producing microbes - such as Bacteroides ovatus – gas can get trapped in your poo, making it more likely to float.
But there are other reasons for floating poo, including malabsorption of nutrients, like fats. In these cases, floating poo is often accompanied by other signs such as pale, greasy or smelly poo as well as gut symptoms, like bloating and pain.
6. Brown is the normal colour for poo
True: Brown is the typical colour of poo. It gets its colour from a pigment called stercobilin, which comes from haemoglobin - the pigment that gives red blood cells their colour.
The colour can also change depending on what you eat, like beetroot, spinach or blueberries. Supplements, such as iron, can also change the colour of your poo.
A range of brown shades is generally normal but if your poo colour changes drastically – for instance, if it’s black, red, grey, or yellow – book an appointment with your GP.
7. You should poo first thing in the morning
False: The most common time to poo is the morning shortly after breakfast.
This is because gut contractions or ‘mass movements’ are more active in the morning and immediately after food.
But if you’ve never ‘gone’ in the morning and typically go later in the day, that’s okay. Again, remember, what’s normal for one person won’t necessarily be normal for someone else.
8. ‘Ghost poos’ are the best sort of poo
False: A ghost poo is a poo that leaves no trace in the toilet bowl or on the toilet paper. A ghost poo suggests a well-formed poo with a good consistency.
You don’t need to be aiming for ghost poo, though!
9. Poo forming is slow but pooing time is quick
True: Your gut is around 8-9 metres in length, so food has a long journey to travel all the way from one end to the other.
On average, this journey – known as transit time – takes around 28 hours, but it can vary widely from 10-72 hours.
This slow and steady movement is deliberate. Your small intestine needs time to fully digest food and absorb nutrients, while microbes in your large intestine need those extra hours to break down leftovers - like fibre and plant compounds - and turn them into beneficial compounds that support gut health and beyond.
The opposite is true when it comes to the time spent actually pooing. Once your gut has absorbed everything it needs and a poo is ready to pass, the process should be fairly quick. You shouldn’t need to sit on the toilet for long – a couple of minutes at most.
Summary
In summary, normal is whatever is normal for you. Remember to pay attention to your poo – it can tell you a lot.
Most importantly, if something becomes abnormal for you, book an appointment with your GP.
To learn more about other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.
Sources
The Characterization of Feces and Urine: A Review of the Literature to Inform Advanced Treatment Technology. (2015). Link.
Physiology, Defecation. (2023). Link.
An approach to the diagnosis and management of Rome IV functional disorders of chronic constipation. (2020). Link.
Dietary intake and faecal excretion of carbohydrate by Australians: importance of achieving stool weights greater than 150 g to improve faecal markers relevant to colon cancer risk. (1997). Link.
Anal gas evacuation and colonic microbiota in patients with flatulence: effect of diet. Gut. Link.
Physiology, Gastrocolic Reflex. (2023). Link.
