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What Your Poop Is Telling You About Your Body, According To Experts

Author:

Stephanie Eckelkamp

Medical reviewer:

Marvin Singh, M.D.

April 18, 2022

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.

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.

What does healthy poop look like?

Different types of poop

Colors

The Bristol stool chart

Frequency

What to do if your poop is abnormal

Bottom line

April 18, 2022

While pooping may not be the first wellness topic you and your pals chat about, the quality of your No. 2 warrants serious discussion—after all, the texture, color, and frequency can reveal a whole lot about your health.

Whether your poop is green or brown, watery or pebble-like, there's often a relatively simple explanation (and solution) for what's going on.

What does healthy poop look like?

While "normal" bowel movements can certainly vary, healthy poop should generally follow some basic criteria.

"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 infection, too little fiber, or some kind of food sensitivity or reaction," functional medicine physician Wendie Trubow, M.D., tells mbg.

"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."

Different types of poop and what they mean

Your poop color, shape, and texture can indicate certain things about your body and overall health:

Colors

Brown: This is normal.
Red: This could indicate lower GI bleeding, or simply that you ate red-colored foods (like beets).
Green: This could be a sign of undigested bile, green vegetables in your diet, blue or green food coloring in something you ate, or other digestive issues.
Yellow: This could possibly mean gallbladder problems or Giardia (parasites).
White: This may be a side effect of taking antacids, or it could indicate pancreatic disorder or liver disease.
Black: This might be a sign of upper GI bleeding, eating an excess of meat, or a side effect of taking iron supplements.

The Bristol stool chart

In addition to the infographic below, you can consult the Bristol Stool Chart, a science-based scale outlining different "types" of poop (from Type 1 to Type 7) based on shape and texture, and what they indicate.

Types 1 and 2 indicate constipation, Types 3 and 4 are considered normal, and Types 5 to 7 indicate diarrhea and urgency. Here's a brief explainer:

Type 1: Hard small lumps that look almost like little pebbles and are hard to pass. This type of poop is a sign of constipation.
Type 2: Log-shaped but lumpy and a bit hard. This type also indicates constipation.
Type 3: Log-shaped with a few cracks on the surface and easy to pass. This type of bowel movement is considered normal.
Type 4: Smooth and snake-like, and easy to pass. This is also normal.
Type 5: Soft blobs with clear cut edges that are very easy to pass.
Type 6: Fluffy, mushy pieces with ragged edges that can be an indicator of mild diarrhea.
Type 7: Watery with no solid pieces. This is a clear indicator of diarrhea (i.e., stool moving through your bowels very quickly).

Here's an overview of what variations in your poop (and pee) can mean:

Frequency

In addition to color and texture, it's also important to consider how often you're pooping.

"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," Vincent Pedre, M.D., integrative gut health specialist, previously told mbg.

What to do if your poop is abnormal

Everyone may have a different “normal” bowel pattern but it is important to understand that if you have a change in bowel habits or you are seeing black tarry stools or red blood in the stool, you need to seek immediate medical attention.

If you're not pooping enough, or you're dealing with type 1 or type 2 stool, you're likely experiencing constipation.

"For many people this is caused by dehydration and a diet low in fiber," Pedre previously told mbg.

In this case, simple changes such as taking a probiotic with Bifidobacterium (or a spore-based type of probiotic), increasing fluid intake, eating high-fiber foods, and exercising regularly can help manage constipation and get you back into balance.*

On the other hand, if you're pooping too frequently and dealing with stool types 5 to 7, you're likely experiencing diarrhea.

If this is the case (and you don't think it's caused by something like a stomach bug), there are some things you can try at home.

Adding in a multi-strain probiotic is one way to support a healthy digestive system, says Pedre.*

Also, incorporating starches like rice and boosting your intake of soluble fiber can help bulk up your stool.

However if you're feeling concerned about the size, shape, or color of your stool, check in with your medical practitioner to determine the best course of action.

Bottom line

Any "extreme" in your poop's texture, color, or frequency indicates there may be a problem.

In other words: If your BM feels hard or painful to pass, urgent or liquidy, nonexistent or excessive, or if its color makes you confused (granted you haven't eaten beets or loads of leafy greens), holler at your doctor.

They can run a stool panel test and refer you to a gastroenterologist if necessary.