By E. S. Poshler, FoyYou.com
What Does an Ideal Bowel Movement Look Like?
An ideal bowel movement is medium brown, the color of plain cardboard. It leaves the body easily with no straining or discomfort. It should have the consistency of toothpaste, and be approximately 4 to 8 inches long. Stool should enter the water smoothly and slowly fall once it reaches the water. There should be little gas or odor.
Stool That Sinks Quickly
Rapidly sinking stool can indicate that a person isn't eating enough fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, or drinking enough water. This stool is often dark because they have been sitting in the intestines for a prolonged time.
Pale Stool
Stool that is pale or grey may be caused by insufficient bile output due to conditions such as cholecystitis, gallstones, giardia parasitic infection, hepatitis, chronic pancreatitis, or cirrhosis. Bile salts from the liver give stool its brownish color. If there is decreased bile output, stool is much lighter in color.
Other causes of pale stool is the use of antacids that contain aluminum hydroxide. Stool may also temporarily become pale after a barium enema test.
Pale stool may also be shiny or greasy, float, and be foul smelling, due to undigested fat in the stool (see soft and smelly stool).
Soft, Smelly Stool
Soft, foul-smelling stool that floats, sticks to the side of the bowl, or is difficult to flush away may mean there is increased fat in the stools, called steatorrhea. Stool is sometimes also pale. Soft, foul-smelling stools that float, stick to the side of the bowl or are difficult to flush away may mean there's increased fat in the stools, called steatorrhea. Stools are sometimes also pale.
Although these stools can result from eating a high fat meal, if stools take on this appearance regularly, there may be an underlying disorder.
Lipase, a digestive enzyme produced by the pancreas, and bile salts from the liver are needed to break down and absorb fat. Any condition that results in decreased lipase or bile salts can cause steatorrhea, such as:
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Chronic pancreatitis - may be due to alcoholism or gallstones. Symptoms may include bouts of abdominal or back pain, and later, abdominal bloating, changes in stools, weight loss, diabetes.
- Pancreatic cancer - the fifth leading cancer in the United States. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, weight loss, loss of appetite, metallic taste in the mouth, diarrhea.
- Sclerosing cholangitis - symptoms may include fatigue, itchy skin, right sided pain, fever/chills, jaundice, dark urine, pale stools. Often associated with ulcerative colitis.
- Choledocholithiasis (obstruction of the bile duct by gallstones)
- Bacterial overgrowth - unwanted bacteria in the small intestine deconjugate bile acids interfering with fat absorption. Causes include hypochlorhydria, chronic stress, diabetes, immune deficiency, inadequate fiber, and use of oral contraceptives and other medications.
Steatorrhea can also be caused by infections, medications, or conditions that disrupt the absorptive lining of the intestines, such as Crohn's disease and celiac disease.
Fat soluble vitamin deficiencies may develop over time. The fat soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Signs include: night blindness, acne, and lowered immune function (vitamin A deficiency) and excessive bruising or bleeding (vitamin K deficiency).
Mucus in Stool
Whitish mucus in stool may indicate there is inflammation in the intestines. Mucus in stool can occur with either constipation or diarrhea. Mucus in stool often indicates there is inflammation of the intestines. Mucus in stool can occur with either constipation or diarrhea. It's usually whitish in color.
According to alternative practitioners, the more common causes of mucus in stool includes bacterial overgrowth and food allergies and sensitivities. They are often easily corrected with dietary changes and supplements. With bacterial overgrowth, bloating and gas usually worsen after eating any sugar, whether it's white sugar, bread, pasta, rye, rice, or milk (which contains the sugar lactose). In contrast, people with food allergies and sensitivities react to specific foods.
Other causes of mucus in stool are:
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn's disease
- Celiac disease
- Diverticulitis
Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and celiac disease are often accompanied by diarrhea. Rectal bleeding can also occur with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
If there is no underlying disorder present, mucus in stool, abdominal bloating, and constipation are often helped by increasing water intake and taking herbal or food demulcents, substances that form a soothing film which soothes the intestinal lining.
Demulcent herbs include slippery elm and marshmallow. A demulcent tea can also be made by adding one cup of hot water to one teaspoon ground flaxseeds and soaking overnight.
If the tongue has a thick coating with teethmarks on the sides, greasy foods, dairy products, and wheat may be contributing to the mucus in stool. Avoiding these foods is often recommended, at least until the condition improves.
Bacterial or parasitic infections can also cause mucus in stool. They are often accompanied by a sudden onset of diarrhea, lower abdominal cramping, urgency and possibly blood in the stools.
Green Stool
The liver constantly makes bile, a bright green fluid, that is secreted directly into the small intestine or stored in the gallbladder.
The liver constantly secretes a bright green fluid called bile into the small intestine or it is stored in the gallbladder.
Bile is needed to absorb fats and fat soluble vitamins. It also helps to soften stools and is responsible for giving stools their characteristic brown color.
As bile makes its way through the intestines, it progressively changes color from green to yellow to brown, due to the action of bacteria in the large intestine on the bile salts.
Green stool often indicates that food has passed through the intestines faster than normal (called decreased bowel transit time), before it could be changed from green to brown.
Diarrhea decreases bowel transit time, so any condition that causes diarrhea can result in green stool.
Other causes of green stool include:
- Laxative use
- Antibiotic use
- Medication side effects
- Food poisoning
- Celiac disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn's disease
- Malabsorption
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Infectious diarrhea - especially salmonella and giardia
- Traveler's diarrhea
- Cancer
Foods and supplements that can cause green stool include:
Chlorophyll
Iron supplements
Algae
Loose Stool
In traditional Chinese medicine, loose stools, abdominal bloating, lack of energy, and poor appetite can be signs of a condition known as spleen qi deficiency. It doesn't necessarily involve your actual spleen, but it is linked to tiredness and weak digestion brought on by stress and poor diet.
Other symptoms of spleen qi deficiency are:
- easy bruising
- mentally foggy
- bloating, gas, loose stools
- fatigue
- poor appetite
- loose stools with little odor
- symptoms are worse with stress
- undigested food in the stools
- difficulty ending the bowel movement
Spleen qi deficiency is thought to be brought on by stress and overwork.
Diet can worsen spleen qi deficiency, specifically eating too many foods that are believed to cause cold and dampness in the body:
- fried or greasy foods
- dairy
- raw fruits and vegetables
- cold drinks
Dietary treatment involves eating warm foods. Ginger tea and cinnamon tea are thought to be warming.
Besides spleen qi deficiency, other conditions that cause loose stools or chronic diarrhea include:
- Gluten intolerance
- Lactose intolerance
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Bile salt deficiency
- Celiac disease
- Whipple's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn's disease
- Cancer
If food sensitivities are involved, treatment includes identifying possible food sensitivties using the elimination and challenge diet and then avoiding or rotating these foods. Although symptoms may improve, it's also necessary to identify the cause of the food sensitivities.
Pencil Thin Stool
Like loose stools, stool that is pencil thin can be caused by a condition known in traditional Chinese medicine as spleen qi deficiency.
Other symptoms of spleen qi deficiency are: easy bruising, mental fogginess, bloating, gas, loose stools, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools with little odor, symptoms that worsen with stress, undigested food in the stools, and difficulty ending the bowel movement. Spleen qi deficiency can be brought on by stress and overwork.
Eating certain foods in excess is thought to worsen spleen qi deficiency. Offending foods include fried or greasy foods, dairy, raw fruits and vegetables, and cold drinks, all believed to cause "cold" and "dampness" in the body. Dietary treatment of spleen qi deficiency involves eating warm, cooked foods.
Pencil thin stool can also be caused by a bowel obstruction. Benign rectal polyps, prostate enlargement, colon or prostate cancer are some of the conditions that can cause obstruction.
With constipation, infrequent or hard stool is passed with straining. With constipation, there is the passage of infrequent or hard stools with straining. Although conventional medicine considers having a bowel movement every second day normal, for optimal health and digestion many alternative medicine practitioners believe there should be at least one bowel movement a day.
Some people can develop anxiety about the frequency of their bowel movements and self-prescribe laxatives and strong herbal "dieters" tea to try to have a bowel movement a day. This is strongly discouraged because it can injure the intestines, result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and promote the development of eating disorders. If you are concerned about bowel regularity, see a naturopathic doctor or other health professional.
An ayurvedic herbal remedy called triphala is considered a gentle laxative that can be used on a longer term basis, unlike some of the more harsh, habit-forming alternatives. Triphala is a combination of three fruit, one of which is amla, a fruit naturally high in vitamin C. Triphala improves bowel tone strengthening digestion, and enhances liver and gallbladder function. It is used for constipation, detox, and a broad range of conditions. Triphala is contraindicated in people with chronic liver or kidney disease, pregnant or nursing women, and people taking blood-thinning medication. It is found in capsule form at the health food store.
If increasing fiber and water intake worsens constipation, the problem may be insuffient bile output. This is because bile makes stools soft by allowing water to bind to stools. Nutritional supplements choline, methionine, and artichoke all increase bile output, but it's important to see a doctor before trying any treatments to identify the cause of the decreased bile output.
Constipation can also be caused by the following underlying conditions:
- magnesium deficiency
- diabetes
- hypothyroidism
- Parkinson's disease
- multiple sclerosis
- scleroderma
- amyloid
- colon cancer
- side effects of medications - most common are antidepressants and codeine
If constipation occurs suddenly, see a doctor immediately as it can be a sign of bowel obstruction, nerve paralysis, drug toxicity, infection, or other serious disorder.
Pellet Stool
Pellet stool is stool that comes out in small, round balls. In traditional Chinese medicine, pellet stool is caused by a condition known as liver qi stagnation. Liver qi stagnation can be brought on by stress. Lack of exercise can worsen the problem. Signs of liver qi stagnation include:
- symptoms are worse with stress
- symptoms improve with exercise
- feeling bloated all the time
- copious amounts of gas, which is often odorless
- symptoms are worse before or during menstrual periods
Excessive intake of red meat, wheat, sugar, and alcohol are believed to cause congestion and heat in the body and worsen the liver qi stagnation. Reducing intake of these foods can help. Some alternative practitioners recommend a detox diet plan.
- Detox screening quiz
- Detox diet plan
According to some herbalists, herbs that reduce stress and help digestion by easing intestinal bloating and cramping are chamomile and lemon balm. Both can be found as teas or taken as capsules or liquid extracts.
Stress reduction techniques, such as yoga, breathing, massage therapy, shiatsu, and aromatherapy, are necessary.
Other tips:
- drink enough water 5 tips
- don't suppress the urge to have a bowel movement
- exercise
Address any change or abnormality in bowel movement with your physician immediately, as it can be a sign of a serious disorder.
Yellow Stool
Yellow stool can indicate that food is passing through the digestive tract relatively quickly. Yellow stool can be found in people with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Symptoms of GERD include heartburn, chest pain, sore throat, chronic cough, and wheezing. Symptoms are usually worse when lying down or bending. Foods that can worsen GERD symptoms include peppermint, fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, and chocolate.
Yellow stool can also result from insufficient bile output. Bile salts from the liver gives stool its brownish color. When bile output is diminished, it often first appears as yellow stool. If there is a greater reduction in bile output, stool lose almost all of its color, becoming pale or grey.
If the onset is sudden, yellow stool can also be a sign of a bacterial infection in the intestines.
Dark Stool
Stool that is almost black with a thick consistency may be caused by bleeding in the upper digestive tract. The most common medical conditions that cause dark, tar-like stool includes duodenal or gastric ulcer, esophageal varices, Mallory Weiss tear (which can be linked with alcoholism), and gastritis.
Certain foods, supplements, and medications can temporarily turn stool black. These include:
- Bismuth (e.g. Pepto Bismol)
- Iron
- Activated charcoal
- Aspirin and NSAIDS (which can cause bleeding in the stomach)
- Dark foods such as black licorice and blueberries
Dark stool can also occur with constipation.
If you experience this type of stool, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.
Bright Red Stool
When there is blood in stool, the color depends on where it is in the digestive tract. Blood from the upper part of the digestive tract, such as the stomach, will look dark by the time it reaches exits the body as a bowel movement. Blood that is bright or dark red, on the other hand, is more likely to come from the large intestine or rectum.
Conditions that can cause blood in the stool include hemorrhoids, anal fissures, diverticulitis, colon cancer, and ulcerative colitis, among others.
Eating beets can also temporarily turn stools and urine red.
Blood in stool doesn't always appear bright red. Blood may be also present in stool but not visible, called "occult" blood.
Orange Stool
There are several common and benign reasons for passing orange stools. Supplements and medications that can cause orange-colored stools include those containing beta-carotene (sometimes found in vitamin A) and aluminum hydroxide (which can be found in antacids).
Foods that can cause orange stool include:
- Any food with artificial yellow or orange coloring
- Carrots
- Cilantro
- Collard greens
- Fresh thyme
- Kale
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach
- Turnip greens
- Winter squash
If stool is still orange when it is eliminated, it could mean that it is not being exposed to, or absorbing enough, bile salt. Bile is yellowish green, and when it reacts with enzymes in the bowel, it turns stool brown.
One reason that stool may not be absorbing enough bile is that the stool is moving through the body too quickly. This could be caused by a variety of reasons, including diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, or short bowel syndrome. A second cause is a lack of bile, which could mean that the body is not making enough bile, or that the bile ducts are blocked. A blockage in the bile ducts can be caused by gallstones, inflammation, cysts or tumors.
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