Decoding Your Digestive Health: What Various Types of Stool Reveal

While it may not be a dinner-table topic, paying attention to your stool is a simple and crucial way to monitor your body’s internal state.

Stool characteristics, including its colour and shape, offer valuable insights into your digestive health and overall well-being. As such, this guide will walk you through the various types of poop and what they signify, helping you to identify better what a healthy stool looks like and when to seek medical advice.

The Colour of Stool and Its Meaning

While diet and medications are common causes of changes in stool colour, these changes can also signal underlying health conditions that may warrant medical evaluation.

Stool Colour	Common Causes	What it Means
Brown (Normal)	Presence of bile and bilirubin from the liver	This is the expected colour of stool. A wide range of brown shades is considered healthy.
Green	Dietary: Leafy green vegetables (spinach), green food colouring, iron supplements. Medical: Bacterial infections, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), food moving too quickly through the colon (diarrhoea), preventing bile from breaking down fully.	Generally not a cause for concern unless it’s persistent, not diet-related, or accompanied by other chronic symptoms.
Yellow (may be greasy and foul-smelling)	Dietary: Carrots, sweet potatoes, fried foods Medical: Excess fat in the stool (steatorrhea), celiac disease, pancreatic disorders, or certain infections.	This warrants a doctor’s visit to investigate potential malabsorption issues.
Black	Dietary: Blueberries, dark, leafy vegetables, iron supplements, activated charcoal Medical: Bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, such as from a stomach ulcer. Digested blood turns black and tarry.	If not explained by supplements or specific foods, this is a medical emergency that requires immediate evaluation.
Gray, White, or Clay	Dietary: Milk and dairy products (rare) Medical: Issues in the biliary system, such as gallstones, liver disease (hepatitis), or tumours.	This is a significant warning sign. You should see a doctor promptly to investigate the underlying liver or bile duct issue.
Red or Maroon	Dietary: Beets, cranberries, foods with red food coloring Medical: Blood in stool due to bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract (colon and rectum). Causes range from hemorrhoids to more serious issues like diverticulitis, polyps, or cancer.	Any unexplained red or maroon stool should be evaluated by a doctor immediately to rule out serious conditions.

Understanding Stool Shapes: The Bristol Stool Chart

Beyond colour, the shape and consistency of your stool also provide important clues about your digestive health. A helpful tool for this is the Bristol Stool Chart, a simple, effective scale that classifies the seven types of poop.

Used worldwide, it helps doctors and patients communicate more accurately about bowel function, differentiating between normal and abnormal variations.

The 7 Types of Stools Explained

The shape and consistency of your stool are directly related to the amount of time it spends in your colon. Slower transit times often result in harder stools, while faster transit times produce softer ones.

Here are the 7 types of stools according to the Bristol Stool Chart:

Separate hard lumps, like nuts: These stools are difficult to pass and signify severe constipation, often due to dehydration or a diet lacking sufficient dietary fibre.
Sausage-shaped, but lumpy: This indicates mild constipation, also likely due to insufficient fluid or fibre intake.
Sausage-shaped, but with cracks on the surface: Considered normal, this type of stool indicates a well-formed bowel movement.
Sausage- or snake-like, smooth and soft: This is also considered a normal type of stool. It is easy to pass and suggests good hydration and a healthy diet.
Soft blobs with clear-cut edges: Passed easily, this consistency signals mild diarrhoea. It may be due to insufficient fibre, which helps to firm up poop.
Fluffy pieces with ragged edges: This mushy consistency signifies moderate diarrhoea, as food passes too quickly through the digestive tract. Possible causes include viral infections, food poisoning, or stress.
Watery, no solid pieces: Entirely liquid stools indicate severe diarrhoea. Prolonged incidence can be a symptom of conditions that cause bowel irritation or inflammation, such as IBS or Crohn’s disease.

How Do I Make Sure My Poop is Healthy?

To achieve a healthy stool and improve your digestive well-being, here are several lifestyle changes you can adopt:

Eat a high-fibre diet: Consuming plenty of fibre through fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is essential to add bulk and softness to your stool, making it easier to pass.
Stay hydrated: Water is crucial for keeping stools soft and preventing constipation. Aim for adequate fluid intake throughout the day to support bowel function.
Exercise regularly: Physical activity stimulates the natural muscle contractions in your intestines, which helps to maintain regularity and promote healthy bowel movements.
Cut irritating foods: Some foods can trigger loose stools or discomfort. Identifying and reducing your intake of these personal triggers is key to consistent bowel health.
Don’t ignore the urge: Listen to your body’s natural signals and respond promptly to the urge to go. This helps maintain regularity and prevents constipation.
Change your bathroom posture: Using a toilet footstool can change the angle of your legs and colon, which facilitates a more effective bowel movement.

Red Flags: When Should You Be Worried About Your Stools?

If you notice any of the following symptoms, seek immediate medical attention:

Any sign of blood in stools, such as bright red streaks or a black and tarry appearance
Persistent white, clay-coloured, or pale stools.
Chronic diarrhoea or constipation that doesn't resolve with lifestyle changes.
Significant and unexplained changes in bowel habits lasting more than two weeks.
Severe abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating.
Unexplained weight loss accompanying stool changes.

For many gastrointestinal conditions, an early diagnosis is vital for effective treatment. A specialist can investigate these red flags to provide a definitive diagnosis. For example, as a gastroscopy doctor and colonoscopy specialist in Singapore, Dr Thng can perform these crucial diagnostic procedures to identify the root cause of the problem.

Your Stool: A Vital Digestive Health Indicator

Monitoring your stool is a simple, yet vital, habit for keeping track of your digestive health. While most changes are minor and diet-related, persistent abnormalities should never be dismissed.

So, take a proactive approach by paying attention to these signals. If you notice any worrying or lasting changes in your stool, get a timely consultation for an accurate diagnosis.