An NHS doctor has explained why it is not necessary to poo every day in a TikTok video about healthy bowels.
Dr Karan Rajan @dr.karanr responded to a fan who asked if you had to “take a dump a day” in order to be normal and healthy.
The surgeon replied: “The idea that good bowel health requires a daily poo is a total myth.”
He went on to claim that “normal frequency can be from three times per day to one time every three days”.
The bowel surgeon continued: “Even if you are going beyond that range, so, for instance, four times a day but without having abdominal pain or discomfort, that can be normal.
(Image: TikTok / @dr.karanr)
“And the opposite is also true, so if you’re going once a day but with pain every time that’s abnormal.”
His key message was that abdominal pain during pooing was a bad sign and to take notice if it is persistent.
Dr Karan then showed a diagram of different types of poo and revealed the “normal” range is for a “sausage” shape that is either smooth or with cracks in the surface.
The diagram indicated that lumpy poo, including single lumps, was a sign of constipation and watery poo was a sign of diarrhoea.
(Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)
Since it was uploaded on Monday (August 30) the video has been watched more than 300,000 times and viewers left hundreds of comments.
One concerned user shared: “Currently over a week now. My stomach is in so much pain.
“Tried so many things they just aren’t working.”
Someone else said: “I go once a week sometimes two weeks and I know that is not normal.”
A third user commented: “Wow I have been obsessed for years about pooping every day! If I miss a day it’s all I can think about.”