Health

Is Your Poop Abnormal?

Everyone poops — but are some poops healthier than others? Find out what every kind of dump indicates about your health

by Rose Curiel | COMMENT

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Ever had a poop throw you for a loop? The kind of poop that leaves you looking down at the toilet, thinking, 'How did that come out of me?' Or perhaps you consistently churn out the same kind of stool over and over again, but don't really know if it's normal because, well, you don't really spend a whole lot of time comparing it to other people's poo. Alternatively, you may not even take a peep at your poop because, ew, it's poop.

That latter way of thinking can be a mistake because poop can reveal a lot about our bodies — and clue us in to potentially serious health problems. But since the stool spectrum is pretty wide — and you're no dookie detective — it can be difficult to know what every single type of stool indicates.

That's where gastroenterologist Dr. Anish Sheth, MD, comes in. The author of "What's Your Poo Telling You," he literally wrote the book on poop. And he's here to help us decipher defecation, filling us in on everything from what green poop to floaters mean, as well as the types of bowel movements that can point to worrisome issues like ulcers or even colon cancer.

Here, the word on your turds — and what they're telling you about your body.

Image via Kittisak Jirasittichai/EyeEm/Getty

SEE NEXT PAGE: The Perfect Poop

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