2724: Q&A - Bowel Movement Frequency - How Frequently Should You Poop?

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_01]: So, press play on Good Sleep tonight, because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app, and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily.

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_01]: It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, and I'm Dr. Neal Malik.

[00:00:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Hey there, happy Friday, and welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and lots more.

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_01]: You send me the questions, and I answer them for you. You may wonder, well why should I bother sending Dr. Neal a question?

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'll quote Ray Dalio here, who's founder of the world's largest hedge fund firm, Bridgewater Associates, and recently wrote a book called Principles, based on his life.

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Here's what he said in that book, quote,

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_01]: quote,

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Listening to uninformed people is worse than having no answers at all, unquote.

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_01]: I do hope you think that I'm one of those informed people.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I do have my doctor of public health degree with an emphasis in chronic disease prevention and nutrition.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I also have my master of public health degree with an emphasis in health promotion and health education.

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm also a registered dietitian nutritionist, a certified health education specialist,

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_01]: and a certified exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I've been featured in over 70 different media outlets for my expertise on fitness, wellness, and nutrition.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And I've published research on the effects of diet and weight management.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And if you haven't sent me a question yet and you want to, I'll explain how you can do that at the end of the show.

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_01]: So for now, let's hear today's question as we optimize your life.

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Hi, Dr. Neil.

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Karen.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I just wanted to start off by saying that I really enjoy listening to your podcast and I do look forward to it every day.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: My question to you is kind of awkward, but it's in regards to bowel movements.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Just kind of wanted to get your insight as to why certain people might go more frequently or less frequently than others.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I understand it might be related to your diet, exercise, and even stress maybe.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_00]: But it's not necessarily about constipation.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_00]: It's just like what happens in your body that causes you to go less frequently than others.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_00]: If you guessed it, yeah, I don't really go that often.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_00]: And it doesn't bother me at all.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Like I don't have any discomfort or pain or anything like that.

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_00]: But I just wanted to get your insight on that.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Again, thank you for your show.

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And I hope you have a great day.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for your question, Karen.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And thank you so much for listening to the show and for your kind words.

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_01]: They truly mean a lot to me.

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, I can understand how your question may seem a bit uncomfortable to some.

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_01]: But based on my experiences with patients and even my students,

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to tell you that many people have similar questions.

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Heck, Dr. Oz did a whole episode on this topic a few years back.

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, I still remember when I was at school,

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_01]: when we were covering the digestive system module,

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_01]: a friend of mine asked our professor about bowel movement frequency.

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And he asked publicly in front of the whole class.

[00:03:42] [SPEAKER_01]: At the time, my friend was following the

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_01]: eat every three hours, six meals a day plan.

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And he asked the professor,

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_01]: so how often should we be having a bowel movement?

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Our professor paused for a moment and then said,

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_01]: ideally after every meal.

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_01]: My friend then blurted out, six times a day?

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Luckily for my friend,

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_01]: this was one of the very few times my professor was incorrect.

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_01]: I'll explain.

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_01]: There have been studies that examine bowel frequency and disease risk,

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: like colon cancer, for example.

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_01]: There are even studies that look at bowel movement frequency and Parkinson's disease.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_01]: This is because when it comes to Parkinson's disease and bowel movements,

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_01]: the theory is that the health status of the gut

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_01]: influences the health status of the brain,

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_01]: also known as the gut-brain connection.

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Most studies have found that one bowel movement each day is about right.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_01]: In some folks,

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_01]: one bowel movement every two to three days may be fine as well.

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Unfortunately, when we look at some of the largest studies on this topic,

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_01]: their findings differ.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_01]: One large study performed in the U.S.

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_01]: found that those with two or more bowel movements each day

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_01]: did not have an increased risk for colon cancer

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_01]: when compared to those that experienced one each day.

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_01]: However, a recently published Japanese study

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_01]: couldn't replicate these results.

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_01]: They found that having a bowel movement once every six days or so

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_01]: had the highest risk for developing colon cancer.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_01]: So, it seems that depending on the person,

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_01]: having anywhere from three bowel movements a day

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_01]: to three per week may be considered normal.

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_01]: So, luckily for my colleague back in school,

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_01]: our professor was incorrect.

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Six bowel movements a day would not be considered normal.

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, what actually determines stool frequency?

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_01]: So many factors.

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Age, gender, hydration, medications, stress, diet, of course,

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_01]: body weight, and physical activity, just to name a few.

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not going to discuss specific disease states

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_01]: like irritable bowel syndrome or IBS

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_01]: or inflammatory bowel disease or IBD

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_01]: because that would need a separate episode on its own.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_01]: So, I'm just going to discuss some of these lifestyle factors

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_01]: and assume that we're talking about

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_01]: an otherwise healthy individual.

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_01]: If we think about age for a moment,

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_01]: for those parents out there,

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_01]: even parents of baby animals like your fur babies,

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_01]: you probably have noticed that these young ones

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_01]: often have more frequent bowel movements

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_01]: when compared to adults

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_01]: or even when compared to their older siblings.

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_01]: As we move from young adulthood

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_01]: into middle age and beyond,

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_01]: stool frequency tends to decrease.

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Women, on average, have fewer bowel movements than men,

[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_01]: but that may be just because men eat

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_01]: a higher volume of food in general.

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Those that have a higher body mass index

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_01]: may have more frequent bowel movements as well.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_01]: It seems that walking or jogging

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_01]: may lead to more frequent bowel movements too.

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_01]: It's believed that walking and jogging

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_01]: stimulate the colon, the large intestine,

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_01]: to push its contents along a little more quickly.

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_01]: This is what healthcare practitioners call peristalsis.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Medications.

[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_01]: If someone is taking a strong pain reliever

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_01]: like a narcotic or even an antidepressant,

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_01]: this may slow down peristalsis and lead to constipation.

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_01]: When you take antibiotics,

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_01]: they may temporarily wipe out the good bacteria

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_01]: in your colon,

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_01]: which can change your bowel frequency too.

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_01]: You may experience diarrhea or constipation.

[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_01]: It just depends.

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_01]: This is because antibiotics are built to kill bacteria.

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_01]: They don't know which ones are good or bad.

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_01]: They just kill all bacteria.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_01]: What about stress?

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Stress can absolutely play a role too.

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_01]: In some, stress stimulates peristalsis,

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_01]: which causes more frequent bowel movements.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_01]: In others, it can lead to constipation.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_01]: So Karen, I wish I had more definitive answers for you.

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_01]: There are just so many variables

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_01]: that may influence bowel habits.

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But it seems as though having up to three bowel movements per day

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_01]: to three per week is about normal.

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Now when it comes to diet and maintaining stool frequency,

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_01]: the scientific community mostly agrees

[00:07:40] [SPEAKER_01]: that staying adequately hydrated,

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_01]: so drinking enough water so that your urine

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_01]: is a pale yellow color,

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_01]: and getting 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber each day,

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_01]: ideally from whole foods like fruits and vegetables,

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_01]: appear to be most important.

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Both of these habits will help keep

[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_01]: the gut microbiome healthy as well,

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_01]: which we agree definitely influences bowel frequency.

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you again for the question, Karen.

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And if you want to submit a question,

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_01]: you can email one to health at oldpodcast.com.

[00:08:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Or if you want your voice on the show,

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_01]: you can call 61-ILOVE-OHD

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_01]: to leave a voicemail question.

[00:08:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Another way, if you want to listen back to your question

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_01]: or do retakes,

[00:08:27] [SPEAKER_01]: is to submit your audio question at oldpodcast.com slash ask.

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, thank you so much in advance

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_01]: for sending in your questions.

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I love listening to and answering them.

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Fridays are my favorite day

[00:08:39] [SPEAKER_01]: because I get to do just that.

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you again so much for listening every day.

[00:08:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for listening all the way through.

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I hope you have a wonderful start to your weekend,

[00:08:47] [SPEAKER_01]: and I'll see you back here tomorrow

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_01]: where your optimal life awaits.