Science Friday How to poop better, according to a gastroenterologist
10 snips
Apr 1, 2026 
Dr. Trisha Pasricha, physician-scientist and neurogastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess and Harvard, author of You've Been Pooping All Wrong. She tackles poop stigma and why talking about bowels matters. She covers posture tips like squatting and footstools, warning stool colors to watch, how fiber and the microbiome help, walking for bloating, and links between the gut and brain.
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Raised In A Poop Positive Household
- Dr. Trisha Pasricha grew up with a gastroenterologist father who asked daily if the kids pooped.
- That upbringing made poop conversations normal and inspired her to study the gut and become poop-positive.
Modern Toilets Change Pelvic Mechanics
- Prolonged sitting on modern toilets disrupts pelvic floor support compared with squatting.
- The puborectalis muscle kinks the rectum in seated posture; squatting or knee elevation straightens the tube for easier passage.
Listener Haunted By White Stool Story
- A listener told a story about seeing white stool in a workplace stall and being haunted by it.
- Dr. Trisha Pasricha used it to explain medical causes like bile obstruction and benign causes like barium from imaging.
