According to a new study in Cell Reports Medicine, how often you poo says a lot about more than just your bowel health.
Over the past couple of years, there has been extensive research into how our gut health impacts overall health and now thanks to this new discovery, researchers were able to identify how many bowel movements per day is ideal.
How many poos a day is healthy?
So, the ideal number is one to two a day, and for those who struggle with chronic constipation or poo more than three times a day, there could be detrimental health impacts.
This is because less frequent bowel movements leave poo sticking around for too long in the gut, which can lead to harmful toxins being released into the bloodstream.
BBC Science Focus explained: “These toxins, the researchers found, could be behind the links between bowel health and chronic disease risk.
“In the study, individuals with constipation tended to have more byproducts of protein fermentation in their blood, which is known to cause damage to the kidneys.”
However, for those with diarrhoea, there were chemistry patterns in the blood plasma associated with liver damage.
Corresponding author of the study, Dr Sean Gibbons, said: “These insights could inform strategies for managing bowel movement frequency, even in healthy populations, to optimise health and wellness.”
Dr Andrew Patterson, professor of molecular toxicology at Pennsylvania State University, who was not involved in the study, told BBC Science Focus: “The study highlights the essential partnership between humans and the microbial chemists residing within and on our bodies and explores the potential consequences when this interaction is disrupted.”
How do we improve our gut health?
According to the gut health experts at ZOE, eating a varied diet with plenty of fruit and veg is a great start.
They said: “You don’t need to be vegetarian or vegan to have a healthy gut, but eating more plants can help. Fruits and vegetables are generally rich in fibre, which is the key fuel for your gut bugs.”
Brb, amending my weekly shop.