Instant Genius You’ve been pooping wrong, but here’s how to fix it
Apr 2, 2026
Dr Trisha Pasricha, gastroenterologist and Harvard Medical School assistant professor, explores poo as a health signal. She discusses what normal bowel habits look like. She explains the gut–brain connection, how posture and smartphones affect bowel emptying, and why travel, periods and running disrupt routines.
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Increase Fiber To Soften And Speed Up Poops
- Eat more fiber to improve stool softness and ease of passage.
- Increasing fiber often causes people to go more frequently and produce fluffier, effortless poops as microbes create healthful short-chain fatty acids.
Microbial Short-Chain Fatty Acids Bridge Gut And Whole-Body Health
- Fiber-fed microbiome produces short-chain fatty acids that affect systemic health.
- Dr. Trisha Pasricha links microbial metabolites to reduced inflammation and benefits for heart and brain when stool becomes softer.
Constipation Can Be An Early Signal Of Other Diseases
- Changes in bowel habits can be early signs of systemic diseases beyond digestion.
- Dr. Trisha Pasricha mentions hypothyroidism and Parkinson's disease where constipation may precede classic symptoms.
