All About Poop – The “POOP TALK”

scatology (skuh-TOL-uh-jee) noun:

the scientific study of excrement

Time to talk some crap!

World Record Peristaltic Action

“In February, 1995, working in conjunction with nutritionists at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, I adopted a super fiber-rich diet which allowed me to successfully produce a single extruded excrement measuring the exact length of my colon: 26 feet. I documented the extrusion at the Cranbrook-Kingswood High School Bowling Alley, Bloomfield Hills, MI, which offered a length of floor suitable for the process and measuring the results.

The cathartic diet was supplemented by a high intake of Metamucil fiber substance. The weeklong endurance prior to the event was ensured by the employment of a plug specifically designed to curtail any premature excretions.”

Recap– 3 most important things you should known about shape, consistency, and color…

Indigestible materials move down to sigmoid colon and wait there (until mass peristalsis movement to rectum). the average person takes about 20 hours to push out what you eat. 

More constipated – poo cracks into pellets; due to dehydration the indigestible materials may wait in sigmoid colon and collect for days

Diarrhea – caffeine, dairy can speed food along

Recap– 3 most important things you should known about shape, consistency, and color…

Solutions for constipation – MORE WATER! Get more fiber (leafy veggies, etc.)

COLOR: Brown is typical, maybe slightly green

Black/red = may be due to bleeding; may be bleeding ulcer/or due to colitis

Black color could be due to iron pills

Red color could be red gelatin, popsicles, tomato juice or soup, or very large amounts of beets

recap – 3 most important things you should known about shape, consistency, and color…

Dr. Oz says “You want your poo to be like a diver, or sinking submarine”

You don’t want to hear small pellets plunking into toilet…

Speaking of dogs… It turns out that, for dogs, a chemical in

chocolate called theobromine is toxic to a dog when it ingests between 100 and 150 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine:

It would take 20 ounces of milk chocolate to kill a 20-pound dog, but only 2 ounces of rich baker's chocolate

Diarrhea vs. Constipation

Diarrhea describes bowel movements (stools) that are loose and watery.

Constipation occurs when bowel movements become difficult or less frequent.

Why is poop brown?

The color comes mainly from bilirubin, a pigment that arises from the breakdown of red blood cells in the liver and bone marrow.

Iron in HEME/ hemoglobin in red blood cells gives blood its red color, and iron in the waste product bilirubin gives rise to its brown color.

Why do we fart? When we eat, we also swallow air Food gets digested in the intestines, gas is

produced- these gases when passed out through the intestine form the anus into the air are called FARTS/passing gas!

The gases that make farts smell bad contain ammonia and hydrogen sulfide which are made in the intestine

Some things you do - like drinking lots of soda makes you fart even more!

“Why do we fart more when we eat beans?” Beans contain sugars (oligosaccharides )

that humans cannot digest. When these sugars reach our intestines, bacteria breaks them down and gas is released.

Other well known fart-producing foods include corn, bell peppers, cabbage, and milk.

What is a fart?

Fart is the gas that you pass from your intestine through your anus

Does your poop float? Rapidly sinking stool can indicate that a

person isn't eating enough fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, or drinking enough water.

This stool is often dark because they have been sitting in the intestines for a prolonged time.

http://www.drstool.com/index.php

Why do we vomit?

Vomiting or throwing up is a process to help protect us from serious injury or even death!

It typically happens when a person eats or drinks something that the body deems as poisonous. Sometimes it is a result of toxins created by an illness or disease.

Why do we burp? A burp (or belch) is nothing but gas!

When you eat or drink, you don't just swallow food or liquid. You also swallow air at the same time.

Why is the smell is so bad? Gas may smell worse when you consume foods

that are fried, high in sugar, and carbonated beverages such as soda.

Gas may also smell more when you eats things that you are allergic to and maybe intolerant of such as dairy.

Digestive disorders such as Celiac disease, diverticulitis, colitis, etc. could also contribute to the smell.

“What would happen if you didn’t poop for a week?” Defecating every day is like cleaning out your

digestive system

If you keep your feces for an extra day...harmful bacteria in your intestine will have more time to multiply and you could be compromising your immune system

Solutions: veggies, fiber… laxatives

“Why do they use poop for fertilizer?” To start…the poop of any carnivore should never

be used for fertilizer!

Human (as well as dog and cat) poop can also carry pathogens.

The poop of herbivores is the good stuff! Cows, horses, sheep, essentially all grass grazing animals produce great nitrogen-rich droppings.

“Why do you get cramps (after eating)?” Cramp = involuntary muscle contraction If you do any major physical activity (including

swimminmg) after eating, you may experience cramps.

If you had a light snack you could continue physical aftivity soon after but if you just chowed down you may need to wait as long as two hours.

These cramps are typically due to excess gas and bloating… and often followed by diarrhea.

“Is it possible to poop and pee at the same time?” OF COURSE! We know that is it is MUSCLES that are involved

in helping us to defecate (as well as urinate) These muscles allow us to hold feces and urine in as well as excrete both.

The primary muscles that function to hold in feces are the internal (involuntary) and external (voluntary) anal sphincters.

Due to the pressure receptors in our rectum, and we feel the need to defecate. Control of urine is similar. The muscles are smaller, but the idea is the same.

We often urinate when we defecate, but not the other way around. This is because our anal sphincters are stronger than our urinary sphincters and it is easier for us to have control over our bowels than our urine.

“Why can adults hold their poop for longer periods of time?”

Control of external voluntary anal canal sphincter

Defecation is under conscious (voluntary) control in adults but unconscious (involuntary) control in babies and infants until voluntary control of the external anal sphincter muscle has developed.

“Why do I poop every day in the morning?”

Because you just had your morning cup of coffee of course!!??

“Why do people vomit when they see something gross?” Often is an emotional reaction. It can be the

result of informal social training.

"Oh that's gross, I'm going puke!!”

Vomiting occurs when the nervous supply to the pharynx, esophagus, stomach and duodenum of the small intestine is overstimulated.

This often occurs as a result of irritation to these organs or due to emotional cues

“What is the active ingredient in laxatives?” Laxatives work to increase the movement of feces

along the colon.

Some laxatives combine more than one active ingredient. Laxatives may be oral or in suppository form.

Main ingredient: Lactulose - which retains water in the colon, and increases peristalsis in the colon.

BABY’S FIRST POOP - Meconium Beginning with the first day of life and

lasting for a few days, your baby will have her first bowel movements, which are often referred to as meconium.

This thick black or dark-green substance filled her intestines before birth, and once the meconium is passed, the stools will turn yellow-green to brown.

MECONIUM It is composed of materials ingested during the

time the infant spends in the uterus:

epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile, and water.

When diluted in amniotic fluid, it may appear in various shades of green, brown, or yellow. It should be completely passed by the end of the first few days after birth, with the stools progressing toward yellow (digested milk).

Esophageal Screening & ColonoscopyENDOSCOPY

Gastric Bypass

Anorexia nervosa obsession about weight

attempt to maintain a weight that's far below normal for their age and height

may starve themselves or exercise excessively

(unhealthy way to try to cope with emotional problems)

Bulimia person binges on food or has regular episodes of

overeating

use of different methods - such as vomiting or abusing laxatives - to prevent weight gain.

(many (but not all) people with bulimia also have anorexia nervosa)

Cirrhosis the result of advanced liver disease

characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrous (scar tissue) and regenerative nodules

Leads to loss of liver function

(Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcoholism and hepatitis)

IBD, Crohn’s, Colitis

Colitis

What does it literally mean?

Happens in MUCOSA layer

Hernias

A hernia is usually a sac formed by the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). The sac comes through a hole or weak area in the fascia.

When repaired the muscle as well as the lining needs to be closed up.

Inflammatory or irritable bowel disease = IBD

Crohn's disease is a form of IBD that usually affects the intestines, but may occur anywhere from the mouth to the end of the rectum (anus)

Ulcerative colitis is a type of IBD that usually affects only the mucosa of the large intestine (colon) and rectum

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME symptom-based diagnosis ; often caused by stress characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort,

bloating, and alteration of bowel habits Diarrhea or constipation are common

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining (villi) of the small intestine

This is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, and rye

Malocclusion poor bite due to…

upper front teeth are pushed outward (buck teeth) - small lower mandible may be the cause

spacing or crowding problems

overbite/ underbite

Let’s Feed the System!

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

ANIMAL POOP

Largest poop: blue whale

Largest poop: blue whale

Smallest mammal poop: bumblebee bat

Who Pooped?

An interactive game by the Minnesota Zoo:Farm animals www.whopooped.org