New Delhi: According to a new study published in Cell Reports Medicine, the frequency at which one passes bowels could influence physiology and also have long-term health effects. Experts said that the best outcomes are linked with passing stools once or twice a day. Earlier, studies found that constipation and diarrhoea are linked and they are associated with a heightened risk of neurodegenerative conditions. However, since the link was more prominent in case of sick people, it was unclear whether irregular trips to the loo were the root cause for these complications.
How often should you poop to be healthy?
Researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology told AFP said that doctors often dismiss irregular bowel movements as a nuisance. However, to reach to the conclusion of this study, experts gathered clinical, biological and lifestyle data of 1400 healthy people, along with information on their gut microbiome, blood chemistry and genetics. None of the participants had signs of active disease.
Depending on their self-reported bowel frequencies, the participants were divided into four groups:
Constipated – one or two bowel movements in a week
Low normal – three to six times a week
High normal – one to three in a day
Diarrhoea
Participants also shared stool and blood plasma smaples, along with filling up a questionnaire on their diet, health and lifestyle. When stools stay for long in the gut, microbes exhaust fibre, which then ferments into short chain fats. Ideally, proteins need to be fermented within, and this results in formation of p-cresol sulfate and indoxyl sulfate. Experts also found that even in case of healthy people who are constipated, there is a rise in toxin levels in the blood. This puts burden on the kidneys and takes a toll on their functioning.
In case of diarrhoea, it was found that the liver was damaged and inflamed as the body excretes too much bile acid, which the liver would have to recycle to absorb dietary fats. A fibre-fermenting gut is linked with good health as one then poops once or twice in a day. However, experts said that more research is required in the area. Demographically, younger people and women and those with a low body mass index are likely to have less frequent bowels. Experts said that neurological and hormonal differences between men and women could be the reason behind this gap, also because men are more likely to eat more food.
Participants also shared stool and blood plasma smaples, along with filling up a questionnaire on their diet, health and lifestyle. When stools stay for long in the gut, microbes exhaust fibre, which then ferments into short chain fats. Ideally, proteins need to be fermented within, and this results in formation of p-cresol sulfate and indoxyl sulfate. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
