Everything around us speaks to us, even though they lack speech. Our body as well speaks to us from our temperature, to our countenance, from our waste (urine and feces) to our smell. It is this same communication that science call symptoms. Everything that comes out of the body communicates the state of the body. The testimony of our bodies is in our health.
Today, we are going to see how our feces (solid waste from the bowel) speaks to us about our health. The smell, texture, color, shape and look of our feces gives us a valuable clue to what’s really happening inside. Feces are irritating, especially when they are not yours. But it will do you well to follow up and put yourself on the scale.
The story of the poop
You might have wondered what your poop is made of, you might have even conclude that it is the leftover of the food that didn’t digest. Well, you are not totally wrong. But the truth is that over half of your feces is made of water together with the undigested solids, fat and bacteria.
The poop also carries toxic and unwanted metabolic waste, therefore regular pooing eliminates garbage in the body.
The seven type of poop
Researchers from University of Bristol brought about a visual reference called the Bristol stool scale, which ranks your poop from 1-7. Let’s see them.
Type 1
It is the separate hard lumps which actually looks like nuts, which could mean dehydration or constipation. The poop which looks like little hard pellets comes to be due to diet and stress and they are hard to pass.
Drinking a lot of water and eating food with fiber like berries, broccoli can help in changing the situation.
Type 2
This is the solid Sausage-shaped but lumpy poop, which also signals dehydration and constipation.
Drinking more water, will help the movement of the bowel.
Type 3
This is like a sausage as well, but has some crack on its surface. It is referred to as the healthy poop, and it is said that, one should be producing one of this in a day.
Type 4
The best description for this kind of poop is that it is snake-like. It is a smooth, soft and long poop which signals good digestion. It is easy to pass without much straining.
Type 5
It is a soft small blob with clear edges, and it is advised that one seek medical attention of it persist as it can be a signal of low fiber consumption or gastrointestinal disorder.
Type 6
A mushy stool, oatmeal-like and it signals diarrhea or intestinal inflammation.
The eating of fiber and bacteria-rich foods like kombucha, yogurt keeps regularity.
Type 7
Now, the one everyone hate to have is the watery poop. It’s signals lack of fiber, bacteria imbalance, food poisoning, gastroenteritis or allergy.
Drinking a lot of water to stay hydrated, seek medical assistance if symptoms persist.
Poop color
Apart from the texture and shape of the poop, we will have to consider the color of the poop has it also signals about our health to us.
The Blackish
Dark color poop indicates bleeding from your gastrointestinal tract, which changes it color has the passes through the intestine. It can also be as a result of stomach ulcer or high level of iron.
The white
White stool can be as a result of bile getting into your gastrointestinal tract or if the liver is not making enough bile. If the bile duct is blocked due to stone, the bile won’t reach the intestine, thereby causing the stool to turn white. This signal is common with diseases like hepatitis and cirrhosis.
The Red
The red color poop is mostly as a result of what was consumed, which might not just be your poop but your urine as well. It either the result of food coloring or blood in your stool. Fresh blood in your poop can indicate polyp, inflammation or color cancer.
The yellow
If you have yellow stool, it signals that you might have issues digesting fat, as a result of taking weight-loss medication.
It can also indicate chronic pancreatitis or celiac disease.
The green
Green poop can be a sign of infection, whether you eat anything green or not.
Conclusion
Watch your poop, for they speak to you about what your body is like. I would suggest a few things to do to have a healthy poop, which signifies a healthy body.
• Constant drinking of water to hydrate the body. An average adult needs at least 2 liters of water per day.
• Taking enough fiber help we have a smooth bowel movement as fibers are like sponges that cleanse the system. There are two type of fiber, the soluble, which absorb water and soften stool, and the insoluble bulks up the stool and sweep it out.
Do have a wonderful bowel movement. #winks