Contents:
- Medical Video: How Often Is Normal To Poop? POO FACTS!
- How many times should you defecate?
- What affects the difference in frequency of bowel movements in each person?
- Be careful, if you defecate more often or less frequently than usual
Medical Video: How Often Is Normal To Poop? POO FACTS!
Usually how many times have you defecated? The answer may vary between people. There are once a day, once every two days, even once a week. Many of you may think that the frequency of once a day defecation is normal or means to have a healthy digestive system. But, is that right?
How many times should you defecate?
Defecation is the body's way to dispose of waste substances that are no longer needed or poisons in the body. In feces, it contains 75% of water, dead bacteria, live bacteria, protein, fiber, and waste products from the liver and intestines. On average, people take out 28 grams of faeces every 5 kg of body weight.
In fact, how often you defecate every day will be different for each individual. Even so, there is a normal frequency of defecation, which is between three times per day or three times per week (provided the stool is not too hard or too runny).
So, you don't need to worry if you have a bowel habit that is less frequent than your friend. Indeed, there are people who always defecate every morning once a day, and there are also people who erratically defecate three times per week.
What affects the difference in frequency of bowel movements in each person?
The frequency with which you defecate is influenced by your eating habits. And, of course everyone's eating habits must be different. People who are used to eating fibrous foods certainly have better intestinal movements so that defecation will be smoother every day.
Also, how often your body moves can also affect how often you defecate. Regular exercise can increase the movement of muscles in your intestine, so this will facilitate your bowel movements.
Stress also can affect the frequency of bowel movements. Why? This is because your brain and intestine are connected by nerves and neurotransmitters. When you are anxious, your body will send more blood to vital organs, such as the heart and lungs, so that your digestive system will be disrupted. Then, it can cause your frequency to defecate less frequently or even more frequently.
Be careful, if you defecate more often or less frequently than usual
Try to identify how often you usually defecate. You need to worry if your frequency of bowel movements suddenly changes from normal. For example, if you usually defecate every other day, you can defecate once a week. This can indicate something is wrong or something is happening in your body.
The most frequent cause of changes in the frequency of bowel movements is because you change your eating habits. It's good if the frequency of your bowel movements is more often once a day after you eat more fibrous foods. However, it will be a problem if the frequency of your bowel movements is less or you experience constipation due to lack of eating vegetables and lack of exercise.
Less frequent bowel movements can also be a sign of a more serious problem, such as irritable bowel syndrome or colorectal cancer. Depression can also cause you to experience constipation. If you have less bowel movements than usual and you feel sick when you have a bowel movement that has lasted a long time, you should consult your doctor.
Another thing that can affect your bowel habits is menstruation. When you are going to menstruate, you may have more bowel movements. This is because the prostaglandin hormone released by the body during menstruation also stimulates the intestine, in addition to stimulating the uterus to expel dead eggs.
