HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR GUT?

GET CLUED UP ABOUT YOUR ‘NUMBER TWOS’ TO MAXIMISE YOUR WELLBEING

These days there’s a lot of focus on having a healthy gut, but how many of us know what that actually means? Here, Dr Tony Bird, co-author of The CSIRO Healthy Gut

Diet, explains what’s normal, what’s not, and how you can maximise your gut health.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE A BOWEL MOVEMENT?

Digestive function varies widely among people and ‘normal’ covers a broad range. Most adults pass a bowel motion once each day, but for the vast majority of healthy people the range spans from three times a day to three times a week.

WHAT IS ‘TRANSIT TIME’?

Transit time is the time it takes for food to pass all the way through the gut, from the mouth to the toilet bowl. It’s governed mainly by genetics, but lifestyle factors and diet, especially intake of dietary fibre, have a major influence on the rate it moves through the gut. Very slow transit rates are associated with a greater risk of bowel disorders and diseases.

CAN WE SPEED IT UP?

Adequate dietary fibre intake is important for maintaining regularity and supporting healthy bowel function. Dietary fibre ‘normalises’ transit time, but only when it is slow. Fibre does not alter transit time if it is already optimal.

Fibres from cereals, fruits and vegetables are all equally effective at speeding up (shortening) transit time. However, cereal fibres, especially wheat and other brans, and vegetable fibres, are the most effective sources for promoting regularity, through their bulking actions.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY STOOL?

Stools should be light to deep brown, smooth and cylindrical, and not hard, lumpy or flattened. Those that are black or greyish in colour, or show signs of blood, necessitate investigation by a doctor.

WHAT EXACTLY IS CONSTIPATION?

Constipation is a condition or symptom resulting from a stool that is hard and dry, and difficult to pass, resulting in discomfort and pain. It relates to stool consistency, not infrequent bowel motions. It’s a common problem; most cases are due to inadequate intake of dietary fibre. Passing dry, hard stools usually involves straining, which increases the risk of haemorrhoids and diverticular disease. Avoiding the urge to defecate will produce drier stools and increase risk of constipation.

IS IT TRUE THAT TOXINS CAN GET REABSORBED?

In a healthy gut, waste products are removed promptly in the faecal stream. This limits exposure of the inner surface of the bowel to harmful substances and potential microbial invaders. The cells lining the healthy bowel also form a tight barrier preventing the entry of such agents. However, being overweight, smoking or having a poor diet can damage the bowel lining, weakening the barrier, allowing toxins to move into the underlying tissues (‘leaky’ gut) and enter the rest of the body.