No problem.
Dr. Terry Simpson, a board-certified general surgeon based in California, shares the symptom of stool that is a cause for serious concern.
“There is one condition that you should go to the emergency room today or see your doctor today — and that is if you have blood in your stool,” he told his million TikTok followers in a video last week.
“Blood in the stool can be a life-threatening emergency and we want to address it,” Simpson continued. “It may be nothing, but it may be something, and it’s not worth risking your life over.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, rectal bleeding is a symptom of many conditions, including hemorrhoids, anal fissures, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, colon polyps, and colorectal cancer.
Aside from blood in the intestines, Simpson says most of the scary symptoms of poop are the result of a lack of fiber.
“90% of you need more fiber in your diet, and supplements won’t do it, because most supplements have 4 or 5 grams of fiber and you need about 50,” he shared in the nearly two-minute clip, which has been viewed 16,300 times.
Research suggests that high dietary fiber intake may reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including esophageal, stomach, colon and rectal cancer.
Fiber is said to “feed” healthy gut bacteriaExperts recommend focusing on oranges, apples, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Simpson advises people to gradually add fiber to their daily diet: “Be careful. You can’t increase your fiber intake overnight, because if you do, you’re not going to be very comfortable. It takes time.”
He recommends following the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts and seeds. Whole foods are the best source of fiber and can help improve stool quality and passage, Simpson said.
“They’ll do several things,” Simpson said of whole foods. “They’ll make your soft stools firmer. They’ll make your firm stools easier to pass through your colon.”
And the benefits of a high-fiber diet extend far beyond the gut. “All that fiber feeds your gut microbiome, which helps you. It produces things like dopamine, butyrate, and short-chain fatty acids, all of which help you,” Simpson says. “Your brain, your gut, your immunity, all of that comes from a healthy diet.”
And if you’re having trouble moving your clutter, try this TikTok-approved yoga pose.
