Not all poop floats. Those without a considerable amount of fat or air bubbles inside sink like an anchor. It all depends on the food. Foods like beans and cabbage increase the volume of gas in the stool, which results in farts, but it’s okay. Already excess fat is not healthy: greasy stools usually indicate problems in the pancreas or liver.
IS IT BAD TO EAT POOP?
Besides being disgusting, it’s bad, yes. Poop carries between 150 and 500 types of bacteria in high concentration – up to 10 trillion per gram – that can cause serious infections. The American Dental Association even recommends that toothbrushes be placed at least 2 meters away from toilets to avoid contamination.
WHY IS IT BROWN?
Poop is colored by stercobilin, a dark pigment formed at the end of digestion from the oxidation of stercobilinogen, which, in turn, is a product of the digestion of bile – a liquid that helps break down fat and absorb nutrients in the intestine. The longer the stool takes to come out, the more stercobilin is produced, and the thing turns black.
DOES EXAMINING POOP HELP UNSOLVE CRIMES?
It can help, yes. You can identify a suspect by DNA samples taken from feces and even map the criminal’s behavior from his most recent food. It is also possible to examine the digestive tract to investigate, for example, whether the suspect swallowed drugs to transport.
CAN YOU MAKE FERTILIZER WITH HUMAN FECES?
From the. The most common technique is composting in dry toilets. They are hollow boxes that mix feces and sawdust, which serves to eliminate odors and facilitate decomposition. But be careful: without the necessary care, you can have a fertilizer with bacteria capable of contaminating the fertilized food.
WHY DOES CORN APPEAR INTACT IN FECES?
To crush insoluble fibers, such as those in corn, only with a lot of chewing. The pieces that escape your teeth pass intact through the digestive tract and reach the toilet in the same way. And that’s not a bad thing: Undigested fiber softens the poop, making it easier to get out.
HOW MUCH DOES A PERSON PRODUCE DAILY?
A normal production of feces varies from 150 to 450 grams per day, which means that 160 kilos of poop per year is a perfectly normal and healthy production. The frequency of trips to the throne does not require special attention if it is within the limits of three times a day to three times a week.
WHY DOES IT STINK?
The stench of poop – and fart – is caused by sulfur compounds produced by bacteria in contact with food in the intestine. Diseases such as pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis and intestinal infections disrupt digestion, and the remains of undigested food increase the catinga. Some foods, such as meat, also increase the odor of feces.
IS SITTING DOWN THE BEST WAY?
No. To lighten the bar, the best move is to squat. This position relaxes the musculature that controls the exit of poop and makes the rectum – the channel that leads to the anus – straighter, preventing the accumulation of feces, which can facilitate the appearance of appendicitis and colon infections.
DOES COLOR REVEAL HEALTH PROBLEMS?
Yes. Variations in stool color can indicate both what you had for lunch and health problems:
Black
Foods: Rich in iron, such as beef liver
Health Issues: Bleeding in the upper digestive tract (above the intestine)
Green
Foods: Spinach and other leafy greens
Health problems: Diarrhea
Red
Food: Beetroot
Health Issues: Bleeding in the lower digestive tract (from the intestine down)
Yellow
Health issues: Pancreatic disease (fat in stool)
whitish gray
Health problems: Liver disease or blockage of the duct that expels bile
CONSULTANCY: ANISH SHETH, GASTROENTEROLOGIST AT YALE UNIVERSITY AND AUTHOR OF THE BOOK WHAT’S YOUR POO TELLS YOU?UNPRECEDENTED IN BRAZIL