How to tell if your poo is normal and the 5 warning signs you shouldn't ignore | Dr Trisha Pasricha

Jonathan Wolf (0:00)

Welcome to ZOE Science and Nutrition, where world leading scientists explain how their research can improve your health.

We've all experienced our tummy talking to us, heard that low, moaning rumble that's gently encouraging us to send it snacks. But our gut also communicates in other ways. It's constantly talking to our brains in ways that scientists are only just starting to understand. And more surprisingly, it's also talking to us in the language of our poo. Yes, I said that right. What many of us don't realize is that our stool holds clues to a surprising number of our body's secrets. It can help identify life-threatening diseases, reveal the state of our microbiome, and even offer insights into our brain health. With gut and mental health conditions both on the rise, it's more vital than ever that we learn about this gut health brain health axis. So I'm excited to be joined by Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist at Harvard Medical School, who specializes in the connection between our bowels and our brain. She's also a columnist for The Washington Post, and it's just releasing her brand new book, You've Been Pooping All Wrong. By the end of this episode, you'll understand how the gut and brain are deeply connected, and be armed with a host of simple tips to improve your gut health. Trisha, thank you so much for joining me today.

Trisha Pasricha (1:27)

It's such a pleasure to be here.

Jonathan Wolf (1:29)

I'd like to kick off with a tradition that we have at ZOE, which is start with a quick fire round of questions. You can say yes or no, or if you have to, a one-sentence answer.

Trisha Pasricha (1:40)

Oh, gosh. Okay. I'll try to restrain myself.

Jonathan Wolf (1:43)

Does the color of my poop matter for my health?

Trisha Pasricha (1:46)

Yes.

Jonathan Wolf (1:47)

Can a change in the consistency of my poo be a sign of a brain disorder?

Trisha Pasricha (1:53)

Yes.

Jonathan Wolf (1:54)

Can stressful work deadlines make you constipated?

Trisha Pasricha (1:58)

I wanted to say 100 percent. I'll just say yes.

Jonathan Wolf (2:02)

Can everyone have a delightful bowel movement?

Trisha Pasricha (2:05)

Yes.

Jonathan Wolf (2:06)

Does the feel-good hormone dopamine interact with our gut?

Trisha Pasricha (2:10)

Yes and yes.

Jonathan Wolf (2:12)

Can using your mobile phone at the wrong time give you hemorrhoids?

Trisha Pasricha (2:16)

Most likely.

Jonathan Wolf (2:19)

Finally, what's the biggest misconception about bowel movements?

Trisha Pasricha (2:23)

That you have to poop once a day or something is wrong with you.

Jonathan Wolf (2:27)

That's not true?

Trisha Pasricha (2:28)

Not true.

Jonathan Wolf (2:30)

I'm excited to learn what mistakes I've been making on the toilet. But before we get into that, can we start with the basics? Picture this. I'm in Boston today. I've just finished my burger and fries. That seems like by far the most popular meal that I can find on any restaurant I've been in for the whole week. Take me on the journey of what happens next through my digestive system.

Trisha Pasricha (2:52)

Right. That lovely burger that you're eating, and let's suppose it's got protein in it from the meat. Maybe you've thrown that little hint of iceberg lettuce on top like just a smidge of fiber. Then you've got the bun, which is this refined carb, and then your french fries. First thing, it's going to go down your esophagus. Your esophagus is going to undergo this motion, which is going to be true of the entirety of your digestive tract called peristalsis. That is essentially the muscles of your gut pushing and contracting, contracting and relaxing to push that food along. It's going to start in the esophagus. That's going to continue in different forms all the way until it reaches the exit hatch. So it goes from the esophagus down into the stomach. It's going to become promptly acidified, and your stomach is going to start to grind up that meal. Now, the protein is going to be a little bit harder for it to break down the meat of that bun. The fiber, even though it's a small amount of fiber, that too is going to take a little bit longer. The bun, the french fries, those are going to pass a little bit more quickly into the small bowel. Once things move into the small bowel, they're very small pieces, you're going to start to absorb the nutrients and all of the good stuff, whatever there is in this burger and fries that your body wants to have. And that's going to get absorbed. And whatever you can't absorb by design, and largely that's going to be the fiber in this case, what you can't absorb is going to keep on moving. Maybe you have seeds on that bun, maybe the seeds are going to keep on moving. And as it does, eventually it will go from the small bowel through a part of the bowel called the ileocecal valve, and it will push itself into the colon.