How long from ingestion to bowel movement

So, brush up on this poop stool trivia, and then pay attention to how often you go, how long it takes, and what the end result looks and, yes, smells like. Simply put, know your poop. Water makes up about 75 percent of your stool. The rest is an often-stinky combination of fiber , dead and live bacteria, other cells, and mucus. Soluble fiber found in foods like beans and nuts is broken down during digestion and forms a gel-like substance that becomes part of your poop.

On the other hand, foods packed with insoluble fiber , such as corn, oat bran, and carrots, are more difficult for your body to digest, which explains why they may emerge in your poop stool looking relatively unchanged. Sheth has seen patients get full work-ups for bright red stool that turned out to be nothing more than the passing of beets.

Leafy vegetables can cause green stool, while certain medications can make your poop look white or clay-colored. Look out for jet-black stool. Though it could be from something as harmless as iron supplements or black licorice , the color could be a sign of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Oz Show , who explained during a now-famous appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show that the perfect poop is log-like and S-shaped, not broken up into pieces. Part of getting that log-style shape, compared with poop that comes out more pebbly-looking, comes from eating fiber , which lends bulk to stool and acts as a glue to keep the poop stuck together as it exits your body.

Pencil-thin poops, on the other hand, can be a sign of rectal cancer , which narrows the opening through which stool passes, according to Sheth. Terrible-smelling poops are a signature side effect of one stomach bug caused by the parasite giardia, ingested most often by swimming in fresh water lakes.

It could also suggest a more serious digestive condition such as ulcerative colitis , Crohn's disease , or celiac disease. Do you hit the bathroom at the same exact time every morning, or can you go days before you need to poop? Other factors affecting poop output — either a decrease or an increase — are gastrointestinal disorders, an overactive thyroid , or colon cancer. Cultural differences play a role too. Sheth notes in his book that South Asians unload nearly three times as much stool as British people do, a difference he explains is largely due to the higher fiber content in the average Indian diet.

According to Sheth, on his website DrStool. Diarrhea is the result of your poop passing too quickly through the large intestine, where most of the water content is absorbed. Constipation, on the other hand, is when it takes too long for stool to pass through.

Loose stools can be due to many factors, including stomach viruses and food-borne illness. They can also result from food allergies or intolerances, like lactose intolerance , or from other digestive issues. A look at different types of poop, which has a range of consistencies and odors. Learn more about the different types and what they mean here. An examination of sticky poop, including whether or not it is normal. Included is detail on when to see a doctor and the foods that cause it to happen.

What causes people to poop right after eating? Medically reviewed by Kevin Martinez, M. Why it happens Affecting conditions Fecal incontinence Diarrhea after eating Seeing a doctor Treatment and prevention Summary People may sometimes feel the urge to poop immediately after eating.

Why does it happen, and is it normal? Share on Pinterest It can take 1—2 days for food to pass through the digestive tract. Conditions that can affect the gastrocolic reflex. Gastrocolic reflex vs. Share on Pinterest Diarrhea is a possible cause of fecal incontinence. When to see a doctor. Treatment and prevention. Share on Pinterest A change in diet may help treat an intense gastrocolic response. Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes.

Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Related Coverage. What's to know about binge eating disorder? Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Why is my kid's poop green? What different eating disorders are there? Medically reviewed by Timothy J.

Legg, Ph. What are the different types of poop? The small intestine, also known as the small bowel, is where digestive juices from your liver and pancreas mix with food to break it down into usable nutrients. It is also responsible for absorbing these nutrients from the food you eat.

Over 20 feet in length, the small intestine also delivers the leftovers that aren't absorbed -- the waste -- to your colon, upward of 1 liter per day. Given a standard diet and a healthy gut, it can take 2.

The large bowel, including the cecum, colon and rectum, is more muscular than the small intestine and is between 5 and 6 feet long. The primary job of the colon is to absorb any remaining nutrients and to push undigested food and waste through to your rectum to be expelled. It also absorbs water, changing the waste product from a liquid mush to a firmer stool that's easier to pass.

It takes 7 to 16 hours to absorb all of the necessary fluid. Overall, it can take between 30 and 40 hours for food to fully pass through your colon, assuming a healthy diet and no constipation.