Stools can be an indicator of a person's digestive health. In fact, the color, consistency, shape and odor of stool give indications of the state of the digestive system, as well as other aspects of health. Here are a few pointers to help you understand what's coming out of your colon!

What exactly are bowel movements?

Fecal matter is nothing more than the result of what couldn't be digested, plus bacteria, bile, dead microbiota and water. As it passes through the colon, the waste rehydrates and forms stool.

Did you know? Cells of the intestinal wall are renewed every 4 days! By comparison, skin cells take 28 days to renew, red blood cells 120 days, and liver and lung cells 500 days.

Focus on stool shape

You may not know it, but there's a scale your doctor can use to classify stools. It's called the Bristol Stool Scale, and it lists 7 types of stool:

1. Small balls of hard stool

2. Well-formed but lumpy

3. Sausage-shaped with surface cracks

4. Sausage-shaped

5. Irregular pieces

6. Mousseurs, not far from diarrhea

7. Cash

Ideally, this is type 4. Stools should be well-formed, soft, brown, odorless and sink to the bottom of the toilet. Of course, expulsion should not be difficult, let alone painful.

When stools are :

• Small balls (type 1): sign of constipation. You need to drink more and eat more fiber.

Constipation is generally the result of a lack of hydration and fiber. Simply increasing your intake of water, fresh fruit and vegetables can provide relief if, of course, there are no other underlying problems.

• Large diameter: the colon is dilated, a sign of slow transit, lazy peristalsis and/or insufficient hydration and fiber intake

• Sticky (type 6): when stools stick to the sides of the toilet, this indicates excess grease.

• Liquid (type 7): diarrhea. The body is trying to expel whatever is bothering it (bacteria, virus...), or high fiber consumption is weakening the mucous membranes, which become inflamed. This symptom is particularly common in cases of intolerance and allergy to gluten and lactose, for example.

The color and odor of the stool are another indicator.

Ideally, faeces should be brown and odourless. If your stools are of a different color for a short time at a time, this is not a serious problem, and may be due to your diet (beet, for example, tends to stain stools). On the other hand, if it persists, you should seek medical advice.

If your stools are :

• Yellow Fats are poorly digested. Generally, stools float, look "greasy" and are nauseating. This indicates pancreatic dysfunction, sometimes gluten intolerance, pancreatitis and other times more serious problems. If your stools are yellow with each toilet massage, it's important to consult your doctor.

• White: when stools are clear or even white, this may be the result of an obstruction of the bile ducts or the side effects of medication. Please consult your doctor.

• Black : signs of digestive, stomach or intestinal haemorrhage intestinale caused by an ulcer or tumour. However, the black color of your stool can be attributed to iron supplementation. 

• Blood traces: if you see traces of blood, it may be due to an ulcer in the small intestine or in the colon. It may also be a symptom of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. In all cases, the presence of blood in the stool is reason enough to consult your doctor.

Finally, the frequency of bowel movements

Emptying frequency varies according to your diet, hydration and emotional state. A physically and mentally healthy person who exercises regularly and eats a healthy diet should have at least 1 bowel movement a day, up to 3. If you go several days (3 days or more) without going to the toilet, you are constipated.

In this case, review your diet and drink enough! Normally, you'll be back on track in no time. If there is a psycho-emotional cause (separation anxiety, need for control, etc.), therapy can resolve this unfortunate discomfort!