A new medical study has just shown that there is a “perfect” number of toilet trips linked to a longer and healthier life.
Everyone has a bowel movement, but no one has the same frequency. For some, it is an obligatory daily passage, for others, it is more random. If science has long focused on the consistency of stools, today it is closely interested in their frequency. A large American study has just shown that there is an “ideal” number of toilet trips that would promote a longer and healthier life.
To define this figure, researchers from the Institute for Systems Biology (Seattle) analyzed data from more than 1,400 healthy adults (ages 18 to 89) and divided them into 4 categories: those who had 1 to 2 bowel movements per week, those who had 3 to 6 times per week, those who had 1 to 3 times per day, and those who had 4 or more times per day. They then examined their intestinal microbiome (the bacteria in the belly), their genetics and their blood metabolites (molecules that circulate in the blood) to understand how the frequency of stools influenced their state of health and therefore their longevity.
“What we found is that even in healthy people, bowel movement frequency can have a profound impact on metabolism. If stool sits in the intestine for too long, microbes deplete available fiber and begin to ferment proteins, producing toxins that can pass into the bloodstream.“, specifies Professor Sean Gibbons, researcher in microbiology and lead author of the study published in the medical journal “Cells Reports Medicine”. According to researchers, the optimal frequency for having a bowel movement is between 1 and 2 times per day. Participants who attended at this frequency had “purer blood and younger organs (kidneys, liver), determining factors for living longer and avoiding age-related diseases“.
Straying from this number not only affects the digestive system, but can also have repercussions on other organs. Going less often may indicate that the body is reabsorbing toxins that can damage the kidneys and increase oxidative stress. On the other hand, going more often may be linked to inflammation and poor absorption of nutrients, which can affect the liver.
If you find yourself outside the “1 to 2 times a day” window for a long time, it is often advisable to review your fiber intake (eat more whole grains, vegetables and fruits like kiwi for example) and your hydration, or to consult a health professional to ensure that there are no underlying problems, such as an overly fatty pancreas or a metabolic disorder.
