Scientists Reveal What Makes a Healthy Pooping Routine

Scientists are starting to unravel the secrets to a golden pooping routine. In a new study this week, a team has found evidence that the frequency of a person’s bowel movements can affect their long-term health. They also found that the optimal timing appears to be one to two bathroom trips a day and that certain factors are associated with better pooping frequency, such as eating more fruits and veggies.

The study was conducted by scientists from the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, some of whom have a more personal motivation behind their research. Two of the authors, including ISB researcher Sean Gibbons, have lost people to Parkinson’s disease, a chronic neurological disease that steadily robs a person’s ability to move independently. Parkinson’s is thought to be caused by a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors, and some research has pointed to the possibility that our gut health can be part of that equation. 

“Many people with chronic diseases, including Parkinson’s and chronic kidney disease, report having had constipation for years prior to the diagnosis,” Gibbons, who studies the human gut microbiome, told Gizmodo in an email. “However, it is unclear whether or not these bowel movement frequency (BMF) aberrations are drivers of disease, or simply a consequence of disease.”

To better understand this potential connection, Gibbons and his team analyzed data from customers of the consumer wellness company Arivale. As part of signing up for Arivale, customers provided detailed information about their medical history and current health, including the composition of their gut microbiome (sadly, the company itself shut down in 2019). The team studied data from more than 1,400 people who had no major reported pre-existing health issues.

Earlier studies have already suggested that the timing of our poops can have a big influence on our gut microbiome and from there, our health. When things are flowing smoothly, for instance, our gut bacteria feed off the dietary fiber from our meals, creating byproducts that are key to maintaining homeostasis. But when we have chronic constipation, the bacteria start to run out of fiber and begin feeding on available protein instead, Gibbons explains. This protein fermentation then produces toxic compounds that seep into our bloodstream. Given enough time, the team theorizes, this build-up of toxins can be harmful to our long-term health. Chronic diarrhea, meanwhile, can make our gut more acidic and oxygen-rich, making it harder for some healthy gut bacteria to survive.

“Together, these effects increase inflammation and put some burden on the liver (due to faster loss of bile acids, which are manufactured by the liver). That’s how we’re currently thinking about this,” Gibbons said.

When the team went looking for these toxic byproducts in people’s blood, they soon found a Goldilocks zone of pooping. Volunteers considered “high-normal” poopers, who went once to twice a day, tended to have the lowest levels. They also seemed to have fewer signs of inflammation and generally better liver health. Given that, the team decided to use this group as the baseline comparison to other groups of poop frequency. 

Even in people who otherwise felt healthy, Gibbons’ team found that poop timing appeared to be important. Those who were regularly constipated tended to have the highest levels of the toxins produced by gut bacteria, including a toxin associated with poorer kidney function in these subjects; they also were more likely to report signs of depression and anxiety. People with regular diarrhea tended to have more inflammation and worse liver function. 

The team’s findings were published Tuesday in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

The discovery of these toxins in healthy-looking people suggests that chronic disruptions to our bowel movement frequency could raise the risk of serious health problems down the road. But Gibbons cautions that it will still take more work to confirm whether this is the case. For now, he hopes his team’s work highlights the importance of being regular. The study did also have some encouraging tidbits for those worried about their pooping.

The team found that people in the study who reported eating more fruits and vegetables tended to have better poop timing, for instance. And there are already other known ways to reduce our risk of constipation and diarrhea, Gibbons notes.

“You can maintain a healthy [bowel movement frequency] with diet (whole foods, eating a wider variety and a greater abundance of plants, taking a fiber supplement), better hydration (drink plenty of water), and exercise (regular walks, runs, going to the gym),” he says.

As for the team, they’re planning to continue studying how the gut microbiome affects our health. That work should eventually involve future clinical trials testing whether specific changes to the gut microbiome can promote healthy aging and reduce the risk of chronic disease.