You might already know that how often you go number two can reveal where your gut health is at ― less than three times a week reveals constipation, the NHS says, while you may have diarrhoea if you go four times daily or more.
But while we’re learning more and more about how the health of our gut microbiome can affect our overall well-being, some 2024 research published in Cell Reports Medicine said that existing links between bowel movement frequency and conditions like dementia and kidney issues needed further investigation.
Previous studies were done on people who had already become sick, they said ― so they sought to find out whether how often we go has an effect on otherwise healthy people.
And?
Looking at participants’ self-reported data, researchers grouped their poop patterns into four sub-sections; constipation (one to two bowel movements a week), low to normal (three to six bowel movements a week), high to normal (seven to 21 bowel movements a week) and diarrhoea (more than 21 bowel movements a week).
None of the 1,400 participants were sick when the study started.
Scientists found that gut-healthy bacteria thrived best in the one to two bowel movements a day group.
But the paper said that if left too long in the bowels, poop bacteria begin to ferment proteins when they run out of fibre.
That produces “toxins” like p-cresol sulfate and indoxyl sulfate.
“What we found is that even in healthy people who are constipated, there is a rise in these toxins in the bloodstream,” lead author Dr Sean Gibbons told Science Alert.
This may be linked to worse kidney outcomes.
Meanwhile, diarrhoea seemed to lead to too much bile, which the liver is meant to use to dissolve, reuse, and absorb fat from our diet.
“Overall, this study shows how bowel movement frequency can influence all body systems, and how aberrant [unusual] bowel movement frequency may be an important risk factor in the development of chronic diseases,“Dr Gibbons told BBC Science Focus.
What can I do to improve how often I go?
Eating enough fibre, drinking enough water, exercising, not ignoring the urge to “go”, and avoiding alcohol can all help, the NHS says.
“A daily walk or run can help you poo more regularly,” they add.
Meanwhile, Dr Gibbons told Science Alert that “eating more fruit and vegetables... was the biggest signal we saw” of good poop patterns.