Vegan Poop: Are Plant-Based Diets Better for Bowel Movements?
A GI doctor reveals whether vegans are better poopers.
Research shows that vegans are healthier, happier, and may even live longer. Could they even be better poopers?
First, it’s important to point out that there is no right way to poop, according to Dr. Robert Glatter, Men’s Health Advisor and emergency physician at Lenox Hill hospital.
“It’s highly variable and people often know their own particular habits,” he previously told Men’s Health.
Dr. James Lee, gastroenterologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, says it’s totally normal for someone to have three bowel movements a day. Other people may only have three bowel movements a week, which is also fine.
That said, the size, frequency, and even color of your bowel movements can reflect your dietary preferences. For example, people who follow a plant-based diet with plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables tend to pass well-formed poop more frequently, explains Lee.
That’s because fiber adds bulk to stool, which keeps things moving through your intestines.
People who followed a vegetarian diet loaded with fruits and vegetables for 12 weeks reported less constipation, according to a very small study published in the journalClinical Nutrition Research in 2016.
Alternatively, you may have a different experience if following a high-fat diet like keto, which is typically rich in animal products.
“You’ll experience smaller stool and longer transit time,’ says Lee. In other words, poops may be small, require some straining, and occur less often.
Stool color can also reflect dietary decisions. Seeing green in the toilet may cause you to freak out, but it could be a sign that you’re eating large plenty of leafy green vegetables. It may also indicate you’re consuming too much artificial coloring from candy or processed foods. High-fat diets can produce lighter color stool.
However, Lee believes people get too caught up with stool size and shape. Bowel movements are highly individual and everyone would be better off just trying to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of nutrients, including fiber.
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