If we’re being completely honest, it seems like a lot of people have a bit of an obsession with poop. It makes sense, right? While discussing poop is often seen as taboo, it’s a regular part of life—something that hardly anyone wants to actually talk about. This raises some valid questions about what’s considered normal.
Sure, you could ask close friends how often they poop and try to gauge what’s healthy that way. But if you’re feeling shy or just want some solid data to rely on, it’s reassuring to know that researchers have done the heavy lifting for you.
A study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine delves into how frequently people poop and what that frequency might indicate about your general health. The findings are really intriguing. Here’s a summary of what they found, along with insights from gastroenterologists about pooping frequency.
The ideal poop frequency might come as a surprise.
In this study, researchers examined data from 1,425 individuals who had taken part in the Arivale Scientific Wellness program, a wellness initiative that offered personalized health coaching based on analyses of genetic, blood, saliva, and microbiome data (which unfortunately ended operations in 2019). This data included self-reported information on how often participants pooped each day.
When the researchers analyzed the data, they found that those who generally considered themselves healthy reported pooping once or twice a day. In contrast, individuals who either went more frequently or less often faced a greater risk of several health problems.
Specifically, those who only went a few times a week displayed higher levels of uremic toxins in their blood. These harmful metabolic byproducts accumulate when kidneys aren’t effectively filtering them out. The buildup comes from protein fermentation in the guts, which can be quite serious: these uremic toxins are associated with chronic kidney disease and other issues, including neurodegeneration, the researchers noted.
What makes going once or twice a day ideal?
There are probably several reasons for this, according to Sean M. Gibbs, PhD, who co-authored the study and is an associate professor at the Institute for Systems Biology and works in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington. “Everyone has this gut microbiome, but it’s a bit of a balancing act with the microbes,” he explains. These microbes can either benefit your health or pose risks, he adds.
