What your stool says about your health
Any changes in your stool such as its consistency, colour, and frequency could signal a health problem, something you should talk to your doctor about.
What you need to know:
- Any changes in your stool such as its consistency, colour, and frequency could signal a health problem, something you should talk to your doctor about.
- Growing evidence suggests that the health of your gut could influence many aspects of mental and physical health including how your immune system works.
Stool is an important indicator of health that can give you insights into what is happening inside your body. As gross as it may sound, before you flush it away, it’s important to look at the shape, size, texture, and the colour of your stool as it can tell a lot about your health, according to Jane Meso, a Nairobi-based nutritionist and trainer at Circle Test Training Institute.
She notes that any changes in your stool such as its consistency, colour, and frequency could signal a health problem, something you should talk to your doctor about.
Growing evidence suggests that the health of your gut could influence many aspects of mental and physical health including how your immune system works.
The nutritionist highlights what you need to know about your stool, warning signs, what to look out for and when to talk to a doctor.
What is normal?
The important qualities of a normal stool can be well remembered with the acronym CROCS: consistency, regularity, odour, colour and shape.
1.Consistency: Ideally, normal stool should be soft, whole, well formed with a smooth or cracked surface. If your stool is well formed and not too hard to squeeze out, it’s the right consistency.
2.Regularity: The medical consensus is that normal regularity should follow the “three by three” rule, which implies going somewhere between three times per day and three times per week
3.Odour: Odour indicates the health of your gastro-intestinal tract. Ideally, little to no odour should be detectable.
4.Colour: The normal stool can range from brown to dark brown.
5.Shape: A normal stool should have a uniform soft sausage shape.
Notable changes
Stool colour can change for a variety of reasons. The change may suggest an underlying medical condition and others may be due to the ingestion of certain medications or foods.
1.Black stool: This may be due to intestinal bleeding and if this happens, it’s important to see your doctor right away.
2.Red: Beetroot, red vegetables, cranberries and red food dyes can turn the stool colour red or maroon. Moreover, red may also be caused by blood from the haemorrhoids or intestine.
3. Yellow: This may indicate too much fat in the stool. In some cases, the stool can have a greasy appearance, which could suggest malabsorption or decreased bile.
4.Green: This could be caused by certain green foods, foods with green dyes, supplements, or an overproduction of bile.
5.White: This may indicate conditions involving the liver, gallbladder or pancreas.
How you can maintain a healthy gut?
It is important to keep your digestive system on track to prevent serious illness down the road. To improve your gut, follow these tips.
1.Exercise: Physical activity is important as it gets your colour moving, which leads to more regular bowel movements. Exercise helps the body to manage irritable bowel symptoms.
2.Eat a healthy diet: It is important to eat a well-balanced meal. A diet rich in protein and fibre especially from vegetables is great because it repairs the gut, keeps it strong and makes bowels move regularly.
3.Eat food in small portions: To avoid overwhelming the gastrointestinal tract. Also chew the food thoroughly to ease the digestive process.
4.Manage your stress: Too much stress impacts your gut health. Therefore, meditation, therapy, Yoga or even journalling has been known to be the best remedies to reduce stress and anxiety.
5.Drink plenty of water: Drinking plenty of fluids such as water aids digestion, prevents constipation and flushes bacteria from your bladder. Eight-ounce glasses a day is a good place to start.
6.Limit alcohol and caffeine: They disrupt the digestive process.
7.Take or eat probiotics: Probiotics increase good bacteria in your gut. Yoghurt, fresh sauerkraut, kefir, and supplements are all good sources of probiotics. Talk to your doctor or other licensed health professional to use probiotics for your benefit.
8.Talk to your doctor: If you experience frequent constipation or diarrhoea, consult your doctor. Don’t be embarrassed to talk about your stool, especially if something changes in your body.
