It is also three meals a day. Why do some people take it once a day, while others can take it every three days. Which one is healthier?
Many people believe that bowel movements must be done every day to be healthy.
Actually, the number of bowel movements is related to each person’s physique, diet, and living habits.
For example, some people have fast gastrointestinal motility, and food passes faster, so they may defecate once a day.
Some people eat less food and don’t have so many food residues, so they may defecate once every 3 days.
Whether you have 3 bowel movements a day or 1 bowel movement every 3 days, it is actually healthy [1-3]!
Some people have loose stools even once a day, which is not normal.
Because the shape of the stool is also a “wind vane” of health.
The Bristol Stool Classification (BSFS) is currently the most effective for describing and assessing stool morphology.
(Source: Reference [4,5])
You can check it out, if your stool is type 3 and type 4, it is the “ideal type in the stool. “, which means that it is moderately soft and hard and suitable for “on the road”.
Of which Type 4 is the easiest to defecate.
But if your stool looks like types 1 and 2, it means you have dry stools and may have constipation; types 5-7 may be diarrhea !
In addition to stool frequency and shape, many people don’t know that feelings during bowel movements also suggest there may be a bowel problem:< /p>
No obvious relaxation and comfort after defecation;
The anus is blocked when defecating;
Always have no bowel movement, and can’t pass stool when I want to;
Stool has mucus or blood.
In these cases, it is recommended to see a gastroenterologist or an anorectal specialist [6].
1
Have a regular bowel movement each day.
Stool at a set time to develop a “Defecation Clock“.
For example, you can drink 1-2 cups of warm water after getting up in the morning, to stimulate the formation of the gastrocolic reflex, trigger colon peristalsis, push the digestive matter to the rectum, and stimulate the production of stool.
2
Don’t hold a bowel movement.
Continuously holding back the stool, easy to make the stool disappear, also makes the stool stay in the intestines for too long, due to the excessive absorption of water, it becomes dry and hard, causing defecation difficulty.
3
Don’t play with your phone in the toilet until it’s convenient.
Simply put, cultivate a relationship of “open black” with the toilet, and want to “open up” as soon as I squat down. This also reduces bowel movements and prevents hemorrhoids.
4
When you find it difficult to defecate, try switching to a squat toilet.
Squatting has a larger anorectal angle than sitting and usually pulls faster.
anorectal angle
For the elderly or those with toilets in the home, a small stool under your feet can be used while sitting on the toilet.
5
Exercise for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week.
Exercise can promote intestinal peristalsis and make our bowel movements more smooth, even for office workers, even walking, riding a shared bicycle, etc.
6
Drink 1.5-2.0 liters of water per day.
That’s about 8 glasses of water or 3 bottles of mineral water.
7
Consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber per day, especially soluble dietary fiber.
For example:
Grains: Oats, red rice, whole wheat bread;
Vegetables: Kale, broccoli, spinach;
Mushrooms: Straw mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, fungus;
Beans: Chickpeas, kidney beans, soybeans, red beans.
8
Grapefruit, prunes, and dragon fruit may be better than bananas.
In general, grapefruit, prunes, and dragon fruit have better laxative effects, but there are individual differences, so you need to try it yourself.
The dietary fiber content of bananas is not high, and immature bananas also have tannic acid, which is easy to aggravate constipation.
9
Do not buy laxatives.
Health products are not medicines, and many enzymes, laxative teas, and intestinal teas also contain ingredients that are harmful to the body. Long-term use, will make bowel function worse.
If the stool less than 3 times a week for more than 6 months, it is recommended to go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination of gastroenterology, because it may be caused by other diseases , or go to the hospital to investigate more assured.
Finally, I wish you all goodbye to all constipation in the new year!
Reviewer
Li Peng| Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beijing You’an Hospital
References
[1] Heaton KW, Radvan J, Cripps H, Mountford RA, Braddon FE, Hughes AO. Defecation frequency and timing, and stool form in the general population: a prospective study. Gut. 1992 Jun;33(6):818-24.
[2]Fang X, Lu S, Pan G. [An epidemiologic study of bowel habit in adult non-patient population in Beijing area]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2001 Nov 10; 81(21):1287-90. Chinese. PMID: 16200717.
[3]XiongL, GongX, SiahKT, et al. Rome foundation Asian working team report: real world treatment experience of Asian patients with functional bowel disorders[J]. J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2017, 32(8): 1450-1456. DOI: 10.1111/jgh.13730.
[4]Lewis SJ, Heaton KW. Stool form scale as a useful guide to intestinal transit time. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1997 Sep;32(9):920-4. doi: 10.3109 /00365529709011203. PMID: 9299672.
[5] Pu Qiuxia, Li Hongwei, Hong Yali. Application status and enlightenment of Bristol stool classification method abroad [J]. Nursing Research, 2019, 33(9):1552-1555
[6] Gastrointestinal Dynamics Group of Gastroenterology Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Collaborative Group of Functional Gastrointestinal Diseases. Expert consensus on chronic constipation in China (2019, Guangzhou) [J] . Zhonghua Journal of Digestion, 2019, 39 (9): 577-598. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-1432.2019.09.001
[7] 2020 Chinese Expert Consensus on Irritable Bowel Syndrome [J]. Chinese Journal of Digestion, 2020, 40(12):805-806
[8]Di Costanzo, Margherita, Berni Canani, Roberto. Lactose Intolerance: Common Misunderstandings[J]. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2018, 73(Suppl. 4):30-37 .
[9] Jiang Wei, Zhang Hongxi, Sui Nan, Li Rong, Yan Changkai. Epidemiological survey of common anorectal diseases among urban residents in China [J]. Chinese Journal of Public Health, 2016, 32( 10). 1293-1296.
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