Like it or not, we all poop – but the amount we have to go varies hugely between individuals. Turns out your bowel movement could be linked to your long-term health – and, now, researchers think they know the right amount you should be pooing if you are healthy.
The scientists behind the research, from the Institute for Systems Biology in the USA, had to categorise people by their pooping frequency:
- Constipated (1-2 bowel movements per week)
- Low-normal (3-6 bowel movements per week)
- High-normal (1-3 bowel movements per day)
- Diarrhoea
So how much is a good amount to poop? According to the study, the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is pooping one to two times a day, in the high-normal category.
For those in this zone, fibre-fermenting gut bacteria appeared to thrive – indicating that people who poop this often share a similar gut microbiome.
So how do you get there? If you’re not hitting your one-to-two-poo target, you may want to take note of the common traits Goldilocks Zone-pooers share. According to the study, that’s a fibre-rich diet, better hydration, and regular exercise.
Published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, the study involved 1,400 healthy adults who were separated into these groups. The scientists then looked for any associations between their pooping frequency and other factors, including age and sex, genetics, and gut microbiomes.
They found that age, sex and body-mass index (BMI) play a particularly big part in how often you poop. Specifically, you’re likely to have less frequent bowel movements if you’re younger, female, and/or have a low BMI.
Less frequent bowel movements means that poop sticks around a bit too long in your gut, and this can cause problems. That’s because the microbes in it use up all of your gut’s dietary fibre, which they usually convert into beneficial short-chain fatty acids. But once the fibre is gone, the microbes start fermenting your proteins instead – a process which can release harmful toxins into your bloodstream.
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.
Meanwhile, those with diarrhoea had chemistry patterns in their blood plasma associated with liver damage.
Knowing more about the links between these toxins and bowel movements could help the researchers pinpoint early signs of organ damage. The researchers also began to explore links between pooping frequency and mental health, including depression and anxiety.
“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,” said corresponding author Dr Sean Gibbons.
“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."
He added: "Studies like this are important because they show how integration of all this data can be used to understand potential drivers of health and disease."
About our expert
Andrew Patterson is a professor of molecular toxicology and scientific director of metabolomics at Pennsylvania State University in the USA. His research has been published in Microbiome, the Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Nature.
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