Bristol Stool Chart

Bowel movements have always been a matter of light-hearted fun. Jokes on pooping are common in almost all cultures of the world. And yet “to go” is the most serious matter from the body’s perspective. It is its way to eliminate waste that is filled, apart from the undigested stuff, with toxins and acids that can harm the body if they stay inside for long.

BOWEL MOVEMENTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A MATTER OF LIGHT-HEARTED FUN. JOKES ON POOPING ARE COMMON IN ALMOST ALL CULTURES OF THE WORLD. AND YET “TO GO” IS THE MOST SERIOUS MATTER FROM THE BODY’S PERSPECTIVE. IT IS ITS WAY TO ELIMINATE WASTE THAT IS FILLED, APART FROM THE UNDIGESTED STUFF, WITH TOXINS AND ACIDS THAT CAN HARM THE BODY IF THEY STAY INSIDE FOR LONG.

Talking about types of poop might be highly embarrassing but the form, frequency and, hell, even the smell of one’s poop can tell a lot about the person’s digestive system. Cultures differ on the frequency. While eastern cultures believe in “going” at least once a day, western cultures are okay going once in two, even three, days. But since it is an important waste disposal process, going daily once is best for your body.

Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, once famously said that “All diseases begin in the gut.” It is a statement not to be taken lightly. And it is not a philosophical statement either. Consider this. Your body is home to 10 times more microorganisms than you have cells in your body. And around 70-80% of these microorganisms reside within your gut. Most of these digestive tract microbes help us by keeping our immune system in the battle-ready state to fight potential invaders and opportunistic pathogens within the body. They also produce many types of nutrients for us, like B vitamins.

Click Here To Keep Your Digestive Tract Healthy

There are close to 500 different species of bacteria within your gut, all of them living in a state of dynamic harmony. If by any chance, there is an imbalance in this gut microflora, you may suffer from health issues – from mild digestive problems to bad breath to a weak immune system, different types of stool and other, often, serious health problems.

Your poop is a good indication of how your gut is functioning. So how do you know that your poop is in good “health?” Consider the ‘Poop Chart’ or the ‘Bristol Stool Scale’. As per this chart, seven types of stools are classified. These are –

From this chart, it is obvious that your types of stool needs to be a type 3 or 4. Anything above and below is indicative of gut problems. For instance, type 1 indicates severe constipation while type 7 represents severe diarrhea.

According to the bristol stool chart, Apart from the form, your stool colour should also be normal, usually light yellow (like clay coloured) to brown. If it is darker, or black, it might be indicative of bleeding. Green or yellow stool may mean that you aren’t absorbing fats well or there is a problem with your liver or gall bladder. The smell also matters. A very terrible smelling poop indicates that you aren’t digesting food properly and it is being fermented by gut bacteria. A normal bacterial gut flora will never ferment food. So if the food is being fermented, it means that your gut flora has been imbalanced.

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To get your bowel function back to normal you need a balanced gut microflora. Balanced gut flora is key to good digestive health. To do this you’ll need to consume probiotic-rich foods or take a high-quality probiotic supplement. Probiotic foods are foods that contain live, helpful bacteria that will help correct the imbalance of gut microflora. These are often fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, etc.

Eating probiotic foods every day is difficult in the hectic times we live. This necessitates using a high-quality probiotic supplement, like Your Gut. This excellent combination of 9 strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium helps restore your gut microfloral balance. A balanced gut microflora will keep your gut healthy and your digestion in top shape.