have a good intestinal health and going to the bathroom regularly are one of the main factors to ensure well-being. An act as everyday as going to the bathroom to relieve ourselves can become a real challenge for some people. Therefore, gastroenterologists recommend a certain time slot to ensure a correct and satisfactory deposition.
As well as the characteristics of the stool can reveal different gastrointestinal problems or need for some nutrients and foods, the time in which they are made can also offer valuable information. Whether you go to the bathroom frequently or if visits are limited to a couple of times a week, this fact can dgreatly affect the quality of life that is enjoyed.
For gastroenterologists, the “normal” range The number of bowel movements ranges between twice a day and three times a week, depending on a multitude of personal factors that include diet, medications or pathologies. Beyond this broad range, there is a period of the day when the bathroom experience will be most beneficial for gastrointestinal health.
The schedule will depend on the routine and natural rhythm of each person.
According to statements by gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz for the media “EatingWell”, there is no exact ideal time to respond to the call of nature. For him, Frequency and regularity is more important with which it is done. “Like almost every other living thing on this planet, our body functions with a rhythm that is synchronized with the rising and setting of the sun. Rhythm is essential.”
Likewise, another determining element for the regularity of defecations is the natural rhythm of each body. Therefore, “when our intestine is in rhythm, we have good, complete and regular bowel movements that are satisfactory to us,” Bulsiewicz said. On the contrary, if you do not have a schedule or follow a diet rich in fiber, water and probiotics, it is common for the body to take longer to digest food and expel waste, even affecting the intestinal microbiota.
The most recommended time slot to go to the bathroom and why
Beyond the importance of diet to have correct intestinal health, gastroenterologist Kenneth Brown explained to “EatingWell” that there is a certain time slot in which to have bowel movements. may be more beneficial for the organism. This is usually, “in general, in the morning, shortly after waking up“. Something that, although it depends on each person, is due to certain physiological factors:
- The heart rhythms and the cortisol level that are reached in the morning promote digestion and the desire to go to the bathroom.
- In order not to interfere with rest hours, the body usually accumulates feces during the nightso you usually need to evacuate them in the first hours of the day.
- When eating breakfast, and when eating any food, the intestine begins to move to digest food. This movement is known as the gastrocolic reflex and is what causes the need to go to the bathroom.
However, This time slot is indicative. The most important thing for intestinal health is to follow a diet rich in nutrients and create habits such as sleeping well or exercising. Likewise, if you have problems with constipation, and it has not reached a level that requires consulting a doctor, It is advisable to consume foods with fiberstay well hydrated and, in some cases, consider taking a magnesium supplement, which helps stimulate bowel movements.