What\u2019s a Normal Poop Schedule?![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1edae03bf22c0ff4628382c76c7513d7.jpeg\"\/)
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Photo by StefaNikolic on Getty Images<\/p>\n
(Photo by StefaNikolic on Getty Images)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of nuance in how often you should go, but Dr. Pasricha said it can range from once per day to three times per day to once every three days. It really depends on your diet, how much fiber you’re getting, and your water intake, as well as how much you exercise.<\/p>\n
How Long is Too Long On the Toilet?<\/p>\n
Dr. Pasricha says if you are taking more than five minutes to poop, you might be at risk for hemorrhoids, which are inflamed veins. If you\u2019re sitting on the toilet watching TikTok videos and lose track of time, you might want to limit your screen time. If you sit long enough to lose feeling in your legs, and you get pins and needles, that\u2019s too long, too.<\/p>\n
Speaking of TikTok, are Probiotics Good for IBS?![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/05465cde4fcdcf563de676c2f39037f2.jpeg\"\/)
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Photo by lixu on Getty Images<\/p>\n
(Photo by lixu on Getty Images)<\/p>\n
TikTok influencers are touting massage and probiotics<\/a> for stomach issues, but most doctors want you to use something based on scientific evidence. Dr. Mike also calls out doctors who sell products and supplements.<\/p>\n Well, these tactics may help some people, but the most effective treatment for GI issues is an increase in something very boring: fiber<\/a>. The key to adding fiber to your diet is to go very slowly. Adding in more fruit throughout the day, snacking on raw veggies, eating fiber-rich cereal and granola, and drinking a lot of water go a long way. But if you introduce a large amount of fiber to your diet suddenly, you may experience pain, gas, and bloating.<\/p>\n Should I Look in the Toilet Bowl After I Go?<\/p>\n Yes. Dr. Pasricha says you should be aware of what\u2019s normal for you. What you leave in the toilet, ideally, should be the shape of a banana if you\u2019re optimizing your gut health.<\/p>\n Is Blood on the Toilet Paper Normal?<\/p>\n Hmmm, probably not. If you have hemorrhoids from straining, you might see a little spec of blood on the toilet paper, but no matter what, get checked out by a doctor, who may refer you to a GI specialist. Blood in the stool can be an indicator of colon cancer<\/a>, and with the uptick in diagnoses in younger men, it\u2019s important to know what\u2019s causing any unusual symptoms you may have. <\/p>\n This story was originally published by Men’s Journal<\/a> on Mar 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Everyone\u2019s bathroom routine is different. What\u2019s normal for you may not be normal for someone else. On “The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":540145,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[241804,241805,241806,2934,69961,97,241803,241807,223033],"class_list":{"0":"post-540144","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-beth-israel-deaconess","9":"tag-dr-mike","10":"tag-gastrointestinal-doctor","11":"tag-getty-images","12":"tag-harvard-medical-school","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-mike-varshavski","15":"tag-professor-of-medicine","16":"tag-trisha-pasricha"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/540144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=540144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/540144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/540145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=540144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=540144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=540144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}