What can my bowel movement tell me about my health?

Answer: Sometimes a lot.

Question: How many times per day should I have a bowel movement?

Answer: Once per day, at the very least.  Many nutrition experts will preach that one bowel movement per meal is ideal. I think the stool should be well formed. Some people won’t look.

I think it’s important to see what is going on.  So look.

Question: What does the color mean?

Answer:  If your stool is gray, or very light brown, it usually means that your gallbladder is not functioning at its best.

If your stool floats, it can mean that it is fatty. Maybe caused by poor fat metabolism. The gallbladder or the pancreas may be involved.

Bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile helps emulsify or breakdown fat molecules. When our body is producing a bowel movement it secretes bile which mixes in the bowel and gives our stool a dark color. If the liver excretes no bile, or if the gallbladder is sluggish and doesn’t release any bile either, then our stool will be pale, gray or sometimes even have an almost white look to it. Some people describe it as a clay color. The condition of very little bile secretion is called Cholestasis.

I have some organic products that I use with my patients that remedy this very well. It is mostly made of beets and the root of the beets.

White stools, specifically white diarrhea can be more serious. So if this were something you observe, it would be advised to see your family doctor.

Typically, it can be caused by the bile flow being obstructed, either partially or even completely. It also could be an issue with the enzyme lipase, which is produced by the pancreas, and that helps you break down fats/lipids. If fats don’t get processed properly in the small intestines, due to insufficient lipase, then the fats will often irritate the large intestine causing diarrhea.  Floating stools, very odorous, are common especially after a fatty meal. Many of my patients also report that they burp a lot, after a fatty meal.

The reason this can be serious is you will have to make sure that your pancreas is healthy. Pancreatitis, liver, biliary duct and inflammatory bowel issues are all important to rule out.

You’re doctor may want to see some tests. They will probably recommend a low fat diet. I like to see my patient’s work closely with their MD’s to rule out any serious disease, then come to me for diet and nutritional support.

I always tell my patients to go get checked. It never hurts to get the info. Then determine if you are in a crisis situation, or if you need to turn over a new leaf.  Remember, managing symptoms with medication is necessary in many cases. But don’t confuse this action as a method of repairing the body. I always tell me patients/clients to buy themselves time with their prescription medicine. Then go out and earn the results that will astound your MD. Make it your goal to build health, and reclaim your pre-sickness status. Visualize how happy you will be when your doctor will lower or take you off your medication. This will only happen if you build health from the inside out. Does it always work? No.

Is it worth the effort? I think so. Do you?

Just for the record. Over use of antacids can cause a lightening of the stool as well.

Dr. Doug

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