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How Often Should A Healthy Person Poop Per Day? Doctors Weigh In

Stephanie Eckelkamp
Author: Medical reviewer:
September 27, 2020
Stephanie Eckelkamp
Contributing Health & Nutrition Editor
By Stephanie Eckelkamp
Contributing Health & Nutrition Editor
Stephanie Eckelkamp is a writer and editor who has been working for leading health publications for the past 10 years. She received her B.S. in journalism from Syracuse University with a minor in nutrition.
Marvin Singh, M.D.
Medical review by
Marvin Singh, M.D.
Integrative Gastroenterologist
Marvin Singh, M.D. is an integrative gastroenterologist in San Diego, California. He is trained and board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology/hepatology.
September 27, 2020

There's a lot of personal information you share with friends—relationship issues, your biggest fears, and even deeply embarrassing moments. Still, there's one query that likely doesn't come up in common chats: how often do you poop, exactly?

While it's not exactly fodder for brunch conversation, understanding just how often it's "normal" to poop per day is important. After all, regularly pooping allows you to clear out waste, bacteria, and indigestible plant material from your system, keeping your digestion humming along nicely. In fact, the frequency of your poop can be one of the best indicators of your overall health and whether you have an underlying issue, like a food sensitivity or infection, that needs to be addressed.

So, how often should you poop? While experts often cite studies, stating that "standard" stool frequency can run anywhere between three bowel movements per day and three bowel movements per week1, that might not actually be the ideal range. Here, functional and integrative experts clarify what's actually optimal when it comes to poop, and what might be going on if you're outside that window.

Exactly how often should you poop?

This answer to this question will vary somewhat based on the individual. "Everyone should have at least one bowel movement per day. However, it is normal to have up to three bowel movements daily, one after each meal," says Vincent Pedre, M.D., integrative gut health specialist and mbg Collective member.

Functional medicine doctor (and healthy poop enthusiast) Wendie Trubow, M.D., agrees: "In an ideal world, eating will stimulate the need to use the bathroom," she says. "At a minimum, one is expected to have a bowel movement once a day, but it could easily be three times in a day if the gut is functioning well."

This suggestion differs a bit from what you'll hear elsewhere. Many articles state that pooping as infrequently as three times a week is still in a "normal" range, but our experts say that this certainly isn't optimal. While someone may not have a serious health issue at this frequency, they would likely be pretty uncomfortable, says Pedre. 

The ideal range for you will be at whatever point within this range (one to three times per day) you feel your best—meaning, you're not straining nor are you bolting to the bathroom.

What if you're pooping too much...or too little?

If you find yourself pooping too often or too infrequently—or you're noticing a weird deviation from your normal, healthy poop routine that just doesn't feel right—there could be a number of factors at play. Some causes are harmless. Case in point: Hormonal fluctuations before and during your period can cause diarrhea (triggered by elevated prostaglandins) or constipation (triggered by elevated progesterone), which typically resolve in a couple of days.

Others causes of weird bowel movements may be an indicator that you need to make some dietary and lifestyle changes.

But if you notice abnormal changes in your bowel habits, it is important to let your doctor know. You may need to have your colon examined to screen for underlying issues that might be contributing to this change.

If you're not pooping enough.

"If you are having a bowel movement every other day or less frequently—or you experience pain and straining—then you may be suffering from constipation," says Pedre. "For many people this is caused by dehydration and a diet low in fiber."

The problem with not pooping enough? For one, when your poop remains in your intestines, it's not doing its job to naturally remove waste from your body, says Pedre. Not to mention, it could cause painful hemorrhoids from straining.

Oftentimes, simple changes such as taking a probiotic with Bifidobacterium (or a spore-based probiotic), increasing fluid intake, eating more high-fiber foods like leafy greens, and engaging in regular physical activity can help manage constipation and get you back into balance.*

If you're pooping too much.

Often, pooping too frequently corresponds with diarrhea, which is never a good thing, as it could be an indicator of an acute illness like viral gastroenteritis (the stomach flu) or a more chronic condition such as a food intolerance or sensitivity. "Generally, if you are having more than three bowel movements daily, a more serious issue may be happening," says Pedre. "This could be due to lactose intolerance or fructose malabsorption. Some people have problems with foods high in short-chain carbohydrates known as FODMAPs, and this can lead to uncomfortable bloating and diarrhea."

The problem with pooping too much? Overly rapid transit through the gut may decrease the absorption2 of essential nutrients since the gut does not have time for proper uptake, says Trubow. Dehydration, fatigue, and anal irritation are also a concern, says Pedre.

If you're pooping too frequently (and you don't think it's caused by something like a stomach bug), there are several things you can try at home. Adding in a multi-strain probiotic is always a good idea to help digestion run smoothly, says Pedre.* Also, incorporating starches like rice and boosting your intake of soluble fiber (e.g., gluten-free oatmeal) can help bulk up your stool as well.

As far as your daily diet, Trubow suggests experimenting with decreasing or eliminating gluten and dairy for a period of time, as these tend to be the most irritating. If that does nothing, you can try a more comprehensive elimination diet, or a low-FODMAP diet to help identify a different food trigger.

What should healthy poop look like?

The shape (or lack thereof) and color of your poop can also be an important indicator of overall health and how well your digestive system is working—as can the amount of effort it takes you.

"Poop can range in shapes from what I'll call 'bunny poops,' which indicate constipation, to a thick pipe (ideal), to watery, which indicates either an infectious source, too little fiber, or some kind of irritable process like a food sensitivity or reaction," says Trubow. "Poop can be a number of colors as well depending on what you are eating, which you know if you've ever eaten beets, but tends toward shades of brown, from light to dark."

Additionally, having a bowel movement, which is triggered by the relaxation of the sphincter muscles, should never be painful or make you strain, says Trubow. (Not sure if your poop looks normal? You should be type 3 or type 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart3.)

When should you see a doctor about your pooping frequency?

If you're not able to get back to a healthy bowel movement range (with healthy-looking poops), despite making some of the changes above, you should definitely see a doctor who can help you determine the cause and appropriate course of action. "If symptoms have persisted for more than one week and are not improving, or are causing abdominal pain, gas, discomfort, bloody stool, weakness, or fatigue, then medical advice with a qualified health professional should be sought out," says Pedre.

Bottom line

Pooping one to three times a day is a good indicator that you're in the clear. But if your pooping habits feel abnormal, don't brush it off and hope for the best—you might be overlooking a potentially serious medical condition. Make some of the simple lifestyle changes above and call your doc if you're concerned.

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