Month: April 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author: Katri Merisalu, nutritional therapist at Elsavie

What is poo, or stool, anyway?

Poo, or stool, mainly consists of undigested food, proteins, salts, and other components produced in the intestines.

Why does it matter how often we go to the toilet? 

As a nutritional therapist, I always ask my clients about the frequency of their bowel movements. This may seem like an insignificant health indicator, but it’s actually one of the easiest ways to figure out if you might have health problems.

What should you note about your stool frequency?

• A ‘healthy’ stool frequency can mean you go to the toilet anywhere between three times a day to three times a week.
• People are different, and so is the frequency and timing of their bowel movements. Some of us go to the toilet immediately after waking up, while others do so after breakfast, after drinking coffee, or in the middle of the workday.
• Defecating less than 3 times a week, however, indicates constipation.
• And if you have to empty your bowels more than 3 times a day, you probably have diarrhoea.
• In both cases, you should make sure that the situation does not last longer than several days or even weeks. If it does, contact your family physician. Especially if you have severe pains in the lower body or notice blood in your stool.

What affects digestion and stools?

• Nutrition – the most important thing in nutrition is consuming sufficient fibre and water. Fibre is contained, for example, in whole-grain products, root vegetables, and fruits, which help to increase the mass of your stools, thereby ensuring healthy stools.

• Exercise – physical activity, such as walking, helps food better transit the digestive system. If you are active, so is your gut!

What does the colour of your stool indicate?

The colour of a normal stool ranges from light yellow to brown and almost black. The classic brown colour comes from bile in the stool.

White or clay grey stools can indicate problems with the liver or pancreas.

Black or reddish stools can indicate gastrointestinal bleeding. If this occurs more than once, contact your doctor immediately.

Note, however, that some foods can also make your stool more colourful. For example, blue colouring in your poo can be caused by eating blueberries, purple by beetroot, orange by pumpkin, or green by large quantities of green vegetables.

Similarly, the colour of your poo can also be affected by food colourings in certain sweets or beverages.

What is the Bristol stool scale?

The Bristol stool scale is a wonderful visual tool for monitoring your digestive health. 

It is used by many nutritionists, doctors, and their clients/patients because it enables you to detect changes in the functioning of the digestive system. And it makes it easier to discuss this uncomfortable subject. 🙂

The Bristol stool scale establishes 7 different types of stool that run the gamut from constipation (type 1) to diarrhoea (type 7).

Bristol stool scale

The perfect poo 🦄 = types 3 and 4 on the Bristol stool scale

Type 3: If your faeces resemble a sausage with a slightly cracked surface, it indicates that you have consumed a sufficient amount of fibre, but should perhaps be drinking more water. Try drinking at least two more glasses of water per day.

Type 4: Stool that looks like a smooth and soft sausage or has a consistency that is similar to that of toothpaste indicates a balanced intake of fibre and water.

In conclusion, both of these types are considered normal and indicative of a good fibre-rich diet, healthy digestion, and good gut health.

What else should you keep in mind about ‘the perfect poo’ and digestion?

Note the following:

• Your stool should be quick and easy to pass, and the whole affair should not take more than a minute.
  
• Once you start feeling the need to poo, you should be able to hold it in for a little before having to head to the toilet.
  
• When you go to the toilet, you should empty your bowel completely so that you do not feel like you need to go again right after.
  
• Your stool frequency should be regular and you should defecate 1–3 times a day to 3 times a week.

If your bowel could use a boost, try our Feel Good Inside green fibre blend, which is designed to get your bowel movements running like clockwork every day.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

On the Bristol stool scale, diarrhoea corresponds to stools of types 5 to 7.

Type 5: Stools that appear as soft blobs are considered normal by some specialists, while others say they are indicative of diarrhoea. Therefore, they might be viewed as falling somewhere between normal stools and diarrhoea.

Types 6 and 7: These certainly indicate diarrhoea. Type 6 stools have the consistency of watery porridge, while type 7 stools are completely liquid.

What causes diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea can be caused by a number of things, but the important question is whether it is short-term issue or a chronic problem.

Acute, i.e. short-term diarrhoea

Short-term diarrhoea is something we all have probably experienced. It usually passes within a few days.

Acute diarrhoea can be bacterial or viral in nature or caused by a parasitic infection (so-called traveller’s diarrhoea) or something you’ve eaten.

Liquid stools after eating may indicate food poisoning, lactose intolerance, infection, excessive magnesium intake, or simply excessive coffee drinking. Additionally, liquid stools can be caused by spicy or fatty foods.

This kind of diarrhoea is not much of a problem for the body because it passes quickly. Just make sure to drink enough water to replace the lost fluids.

Chronic diarrhoea – a long-term problem

Severe or frequent diarrhoea lasting for weeks or more at a time is a sign of a more serious health problem and definitely needs medical attention.

Such diarrhoea usually results from a bowel disease, food intolerance, or another disorder, such as coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease.

What kind of problems can chronic diarrhoea lead to?

Diarrhoea mainly results in dehydration, as it causes the body to lose a lot of water and salts in a short period of time.

If the lost water and salts are not replenished quickly, the body will start to ‘dehydrate’ – a condition where the body lacks the necessary amount of water and fluids to carry out its normal functions. This can eventually lead to seizures, low blood pressure, kidney failure, and even coma.

The other thing is that food will pass through your digestive system too quickly. Your body will be starved of nutrients because they are not given enough time to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Note: If you have chronic diarrhoea, you should see your family physician as soon as possible!

How can you relieve diarrhoea?

In the case of chronic or very severe diarrhoea, you should first identify the causes and consult a doctor. Nonetheless, some changes to your diet might also help.

• The most important thing is to replenish the body’s fluid reserves. This simply means drinking more water or beverages containing electrolytes, such as sports drinks or coconut water.
  
• Consume more gel-like water-soluble fibre. This will soothe your digestive system and help prevent irritation. Oat flakes, blueberries, flaxseed, and psyllium are some good sources.
  
• Avoid laxative fruits and berries such as apples, plums, strawberries, currants, and water-insoluble wheat and rye bran, which can irritate the gut (but are good for relieving constipation).
  
• Our Calm Your Rumbly Tummy red fibre mix can also help make the digestion process smoother and reduce inflammation.
  
• If your diarrhoea stems from food intolerances (make sure to do a food intolerance test first!), you should avoid the foods in question or consume them in smaller quantities. The most common culprits behind food intolerances are gluten, lactose, and casein.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Most people know that we get most of the vitamins our body needs from food.

What is a lesser known fact, however, is that a major share of our daily vitamin B and K needs is covered by the bacteria in our gut microbiome. 

Which B vitamins does our microbiome produce?

It has been found that at least 30% of the amount of B-group vitamins we require daily is produced by bacteria in the digestive tract. 

Specifically, our gut bacteria produce:
vitamin B3, or niacin; 
vitamin B6, or pyridoxine;
vitamin B9, or folate; 
vitamin B12, or cobalamin.

In the case of a balanced and diverse microbiome, vitamins B3 and B6 are produced by most of our gut bacteria. Vitamins B12 and B9, however, are produced only by bacteria belonging to the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, and Prevotella. 

Your microbiome test results will give you a good picture of whether your microbiome contains a sufficient number of bacteria of these genera.

Why do our bodies need B vitamins?

B vitamins are essential for life, as they support a number of organ functions.

Vitamin B1 is mainly needed for:

• the normal metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids; 
• the functioning of the nervous system, muscles, and myocardium;
• the normal production of gastric acid.

Vitamin B2 is needed for:

• the normal metabolism of fats and carbohydrates; 
• the functioning of the nervous system, muscles, and myocardium; 
• vision (to reduce eye fatigue and ensure normal vision);
• healthy skin, mucous membranes, nails, and hair;
• the production of antibodies.

Vitamin B3, or niacin, is mainly needed for:

• the normal metabolism of fats and carbohydrates and the synthesis of proteins;
• the functioning of the nervous system and muscles;
• repairing skin damage.

Vitamin B6 is mainly needed for:

• the normal metabolism of amino acids (including the breakdown and utilisation of proteins);
• the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates;
• the production of a variety of bioactive compounds (e.g., serotonin) in the body;
• the maturation of erythrocytes.

Vitamin B9, or folate, is mainly needed for:

• the normal metabolism of fats and carbohydrates;
• the development of neural tissues in foetuses; 
• the maturation of erythrocytes, in combination with vitamin B12;
• DNA and RNA synthesis during growth and for the regeneration of cells in the body.

Vitamin B12 is mainly needed for:

• the normal metabolism of amino acids;
• the prevention of various anaemias (e.g., for the maturation of erythrocytes, in combination with folates);
• the normal development of neural tissues.

Which K vitamins does our microbiome produce and why do we need them?

The vitamin K family can be divided into two major groups: vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, and K2, or menaquinone. Vitamin K1 is found in plants, while K2 is produced by bacteria.

The human body needs both vitamins K1 and K2, as they play different roles in our metabolism: K1, for example, is mainly involved in blood clotting, while K2 improves vascular elasticity.

Vitamin K is essential for: 

• blood clotting, 
• heart disease prevention, 
• bone metabolism, 
• kidney function. 

Is your microbiome in good enough shape to produce the vitamins you need? Try our fibre blends to ensure a complete diet for your gut bacteria. Balanced fibre blends both support your digestion and ensure a diverse microbiome.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Having constipation can be painful and unpleasant, but luckily there’s much you can do about it!

If your stools resemble type 1 or 2 the most, you are likely to be suffering from constipation.

Your nut-like poo is stubborn 🐐 and doesn’t want to come out. Doing your business feels like proper work because stools are hard to pass and it can be painful.

Constipation can also mean that you’re not passing stools regularly or you’re unable to completely empty your bowel in one go.

What causes constipation?

These all can play their part:

• you’re not drinking enough water;
• you’re being inactive;
• you’re living a stressful life;
• you’re taking antibiotics;
• you have an autoimmune disease.

But usually it’s this:

👉 You are not eating enough fiber from plants.

Yes, it really can be this simple!

What is this magical fibre?

It’s a non-digestible carbohydrate found only in plants.

Dietary fiber is essential for increasing the weight and size of your stool and also softens it, making it easier to poop.

Most importantly: dietary fiber is food for your gut bacteria. If they have enough fiber to eat, they are happy and the good bacteria can help to keep your inner balance.

But… if you keep your bacteria in hunger, then usually the good ones start to die out and bad ones are going to cause problems for you (“I’m going to the toilet 🚽. Wish me luck!”).

What are the best sources of fibre for relieving constipation?

As said earlier, you ONLY get fiber from plants and when you’re constipated, the best plants to eat are:

🍒 berries (currants, gooseberries);
🍎 fruits (apples, plums);
🥬 vegetables (cabbage, lettuces);
🌾 whole-grain products (whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta).

How else can you relieve constipation?

• Eat more those 👆 plants every day to get more dietary fibers and to soften the poo.
• If you want faster results, try our Feel Good Inside green fibre blend. Remember to start with lower doses and then gradually increase your intake of the blend.
• Drink 0.5–1 litres (2–4 glasses) more water per day.
• Be regularly active, because if you’re active, your bowel is active! Even taking just a 15–30 minute walk every day can work wonders.