Is it true that “morning” is the best “poop” time for health and digestion?
Consider the morning bowel movement, for example. Many people experience a bowel movement shortly after waking up, as part of their daily routine as a clock. But is this really the best time? And if you tend to have a bowel movement later in the day, or if you don’t have a bowel movement at all, is this a sign of poor digestion? To learn the ins and outs of the morning bowel movement, we spoke to Ali Rezaei, MD, a gastroenterologist at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, co-author of The Microbiome Connection and co-founder of The Good LFE.
Why Do We Often Have a “Light” Morning? Dr. Rezaei explains that morning bowel movements are normal, as they are largely the result of an overnight fast. “Our small and large intestines move differently during eating and digestion, and during the ‘fasting’ phase. Which begins several hours after eating,” says Dr. Rezaei. “During fasting there is a cleansing wave that sweeps the small intestine about every two hours. Moving waste into the large intestine.
Do regular morning bowel movements indicate a healthy digestive system? According to the process described by Dr. Rezaei. It may seem that a morning bowel movement is “normal” or even the เล่น UFABET ผ่านมือถือ สะดวกทุกที่ ทุกเวลา best time. And if it is not, it may be thought that something is wrong. But Dr. Rezaei says that the time of the bowel movement is not always an indicator of the quality of the digestive system’s health.
“It’s not easy to conclude that your digestive system is the best based on the time and regularity of your bowel movements,” says Dr. Rezaei. He adds that everyone’s “normal” bowel movement is different. “Three times a day or three times a week is considered normal,” Dr. Rezaei continues. It doesn’t matter when you “do your business.” But consistency is more important when it comes to determining whether your digestive system is “normal.” “People who have regular bowel movements once or twice a day, if they don’t have a bowel movement for two days in a row, will feel constipated,” Dr. Rezaei gives the example of listening to your body, no matter who’s there. Because holding in your bowel movement has negative effects.
The quality and quantity of each bowel movement varies greatly depending on individual factors. “In healthy people, bowel habits are affected by physical activity. Diet — particularly fiber intake and stimulants like coffee — medications, and sleep patterns,” says Dr. Rezaei. When it comes to sleep, disruption of circadian rhythms is known to contribute to gastrointestinal disorders such as GERD, IBS and IBD.
What’s more, Dr. Rezaei says jet lag can also affect bowel movements. A 2021 study in mice found that chronic jet lag “led to a reduction in the amount, diversity, and richness of microbes in both the feces and the ileum contents.” Simply put, the importance of quality sleep shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to digestion and overall health.
In short, having a morning bowel movement may be normal for some people, but if you’re not one of them, Dr. Rezai assures you that you don’t have to worry about it and lose sleep (because worrying about your bowel movement can cause you to have poor bowel movements due to stress).
However, if you want to improve your bowel movements, whether you have them in the morning, afternoon, or at night, follow these simple tips: drink enough water throughout the day, focus on consuming fiber and probiotics, and live an active lifestyle. Last but not least, talk to your doctor if you have fewer or more frequent bowel movements, have hard stools, or if you have more difficult bowel movements than usual.