Do you need to poop every day? Science has the answer
How often you poop can reveal important information about the internal processes going on in your body.
When I was a teenager in boarding school, I had a roommate who always sat on the toilet seat waiting every morning for poop to drop because she thought it was healthy, but what is the truth?
A survey by Healthline found that most people have a regular bowel pattern, pooping about the same number of times a day and at the same time of day.
Nearly 50% of people poop once a day, while 28 percent go twice a day. Only 5.6% go once or twice weekly. Most respondents poop in the morning, while 22 percent go in the afternoon. Only 2.6% poop very late at night.
Nearly 31% of respondents reported their poop consistency was similar to that of a sausage or snake, with a smooth and soft consistency.
How often should you poop?
Studies revealed that most healthy people poop between two times a day and three times a week. Factors such as diet, water intake, and stress levels can influence how often one poops.
Studies show that less frequent poop may indicate constipation, while more frequent visits may indicate diarrhoea, especially if the poop has a watery consistency.
What should healthy poop look like?
Poop should be easily passed, soft, and frequently have a shape similar to a sausage or snake, reflecting the inside of the intestines. They should also be brown because of the disintegration of red blood cells.
Watery or “loose” stools can be a sign of intestinal irritation and slow stool transit, which can increase the frequency with which you go to the toilet and decrease the absorption of nutrients. If your poop is hard, it’s probably due to haemorrhoids, intestinal backlog, and stool backup in the intestines.