Usually, I take two days before pooping. Is this normal and how long does food take to move from the mouth to the anus? Tobias
Dear Tobias,
What we eat as food is digested (into what we can absorb) in our alimentary canal, and the undigested waste is stored in the rectum before it exits the anus during defecation. So, what we eat as food is not what exits the anus. It is what we cannot digest and, therefore, cannot absorb that comes out of the anus.
It generally takes about seven seconds for food to go from the mouth, down the stomach and it may take from 20-30 hours for this food to exit the anus as a stool. This time depends on the type of food eaten, age (faster in children), sex (faster in women) and state of hydration among others.
Constipation is said to happen if one goes to the toilet three times or fewer per week, has difficulty passing stool, the stool is hard, and a person feels not all the stool has come out.
Taking two days to pass stool if it is soft and without other symptoms, should be taken to be normal.
You must continue eating a balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables and enough water (until your urine is straw-colored). You should also do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
The said diet and exercising, will not only help you have regular bowel habits but will also help you maintain good bowel movement and overall general health.
