Bowel Frequency Reveals Secrets in Your Heart, Liver, and Kidneys

Scientists at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in the US looked at the bowel movements diaries of 1,400 healthy adults to see how bowel frequency (BMF) affects the body.

Participants were healthy, taking no medication, without serious medical conditions, and, depending on bowel frequency, were divided into four groups:

• Constipation: 1 time a week
• Normally less: 3 - 6 times a week
• Normally many: 1 - 3 times a day
• Diarrhea.

Illustration: AI

The study aimed to find associations between bowel movement frequency and internal body functions, including demographics, genetics, gut microbiota, blood metabolites, and blood chemistry.

The results found that different bowel movements were associated with different abundances of gut bacteria, blood metabolites, and changes in lifestyle factors. These differences were linked to inflammation, cardiovascular health, liver and kidney function, according to the scientific journal New Atlas.

Researchers found that age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) were all correlated with bowel frequency. Younger people, women, and those with lower BMIs tended to go to the bathroom less frequently.

Specifically:

1-2 times/day: Good health. People who poop 1-2 times/day have more fiber-digesting bacteria, which is generally beneficial to health. This frequency is considered “balanced”—not too much or too little. People who eat plenty of fiber, drink enough water, and exercise regularly are more likely to achieve this balance.

People with constipation or diarrhea have less healthy levels of gut bacteria.

Constipation: Kidney damage, impaired kidney function. In people with constipation, Blood has higher concentrations of protein fermentation byproducts, specifically p-cresol-sulfate and indoxyl-sulfate, which are harmful to the kidneys. Higher blood concentrations of indoxyl-sulfate are associated with impaired kidney function.

Chronic constipation is associated with neurodegenerative disorders and progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with the disease, noted study author Dr. Sean Gibbons, associate professor of microbiology at the Institute for Systems Biology, according to New Atlas.

Diarrhea: Liver damage. Conversely, people with diarrhea have high levels of markers in their blood that are often associated with liver damage.

This suggests a relationship between bowel frequency, gut microbiota activity, and organ damage, even in healthy individuals.

Additionally, researchers found that mental health history was also associated with bowel frequency.

The researchers concluded: Bowel schedule is not just related to digestion, it is also a signal for the entire body. From gut bacteria to blood chemistry, bowel frequency is related to almost every organ.