WASHINGTON — People look down their noses at the topic of poop, and that lets some people dump some false information about one of the most common human activities into the general discourse.
Fortunately, the folks at Prevention talked to some gastroenterologists who are full of the facts, and now you can unload some of the myths you’ve been clinging to about when and how to go.
First off: Going once a day? That’s a myth Dr. Kyle Staller, a Massachusetts General Hospital gastroenterologist, tells Prevention. Less than three times a week is considered abnormal, he says, but other than that, anything that “doesn’t impact your quality of life” can be fine.
Holding it in is said to be harmful, but it really isn’t, Dr. Patricia Raymond, of the Eastern Virginia Medical School, tells Prevention.
Waiting until there’s “a socially acceptable time and place” to go is a good thing. Just don’t do it all the time, Staller says. By waiting, Staller says, you constipate yourself, or weaken the muscles you use to poop.
Don’t worry about the smell, Raymond says. If the smell suddenly changes, that could be a sign of a digestion problem. It’s also true that vegetarian poops smell less. Other than that, anything goes.
Maybe the most important myth, both gastroenterologists say, is the colon-cleanse idea.
“Your colon is meant to have stool in it at all times,” Staller says, and cleaning it out can get rid of healthy bacteria.
Other myths, according to Prevention:
- There’s a perfect form and shape for a stool;
- Pooping takes a long time;
- Healthy poop doesn’t splash.
On the other hand, it’s true that poop shouldn’t float — more than once in a while, anyway. It’s evidence you’re not digesting fat and oil well. And watch the color — an occasional reflection of what you’ve been eating is OK, but white, clay-colored or (Staller swears it exists) silver poop mean serious trouble.
The idea that white food is good for diarrhea is partly true — rice and toast help — but milk and cheese are a bad idea. Really, the most important thing you can do in a case of diarrhea is stay hydrated: A sip of water mixed with 6 teaspoons of sugar and a half-teaspoon of salt throughout the day.
