Dr. Oz, Your Pee N Poop Normal? Shape, Color, Smell, Size

Dr. Oz Is Your Pee and Poop Normal? Shape, Color, Smell, and Size

On today's September 15, 2011 show Dr. Oz was talking about one of his all time favorite subjects. Yes, poop and your pee!  Dr. Oz says that a trip to the bathroom can be a life saving exam that you can do every day.  In fact a quick glance in your toilet can give you warning signs to such diseases as

• Kidney Disease
• Gallbladder Disease
• Crohn's Disease
• Diabetes
• Stomach Cancer

Dr. Oz's had his entire front row in the audience stand up because they had all diagnosed themselves to one of the above disease from doing one simple thing and that is they "looked before they flushed". Dr. Oz asked the front row of the audience of what they saw. The first woman said that her stool looked looser and looser. The next woman said that her pee was really cloudy. One woman said her pee was full of bubbles. One noticed blood in her poop. One woman noticed that the color of her stools was getting lighter and lighter.

Since the subject matter on today's show may seem a little embarrassing to talk about, Dr. Oz declared today's show a "No Embarrassment Zone".  He had each member of the audience come to the show with a picture of their stool and a sample of their pee.

Four Saving "S's" Of Your Pee and Poop That Can Save Your Life

• Shape
• Size
• Smell
• Shade

Size and Shape of your Poop

Dr. Oz said that knowing the size and shape of your stool can help you understand what is going on inside of your body. Dr. Oz the explained the different shapes to look for

• Smooth shape. This is desireable 
• Marble appearance. This is not what your stool to look like. If your poople does have the marble appearance it means that you are constipated. 
• Watery appearance - When you have a watery stool it means that you are not getting absorbing your food properly. 

Is It Bad To Hold In Poop?

Dr. Oz says that it's a not a good idea to hold in your poop. He said that your stool is full of toxins and it is meant to be evacuated from you body in a timely manner. He also says that when you hold on to your poop it desensitizes your bowels. He said that if this happens over a period of time it can cause nerve damage and outpouches! Outpouches are places in your intestines where poop can get stuck.  Dr. Oz says this outpouches can even be deadly! So Dr. Oz says that when you "gotta go, just go!" He understands that sometimes people shy away of using public restrooms and such, but we need to get past it because holding in your stool can potentially cause you harm.

The Color Of Your Poop

Brown - This is the ideal "normal" color that we want our poop to be.
Bright Red - When your stool is red it may mean that you have a lower gastro intestinal bleed.  It can mean that you have Diverticulosis, and it could be a sign of cancer.

Green - If you have green poop it can be a sign that you have Crohn's Disease or other diseases associated with malabsorption problems.


Yellowish White - This is a typical color for gallbladder disease. This usually happens because gallstones are blocking the bile ducts and is not allowing the green bile in. The green is what gets metabolized and makes poop turn a brown color.

Whitish Color - A whitish color is what concerns Dr. Oz the most. He said that this color means that your pancreas isn't working well. It can mean Pancreatitis, or even Pancreatic Cancer.

Black - Stools that are black in color sometimes is a signal of bleeding from the upper GI system. It can also get blackish in color from too much iron, or gastric ulcers.

Is It Dangerous To Strain Too Hard When You Poop?

Dr. Oz said that yes it can cause problems if the poop is not coming out.  He said that if you are having a problem with getting your stool out it is signaling something else is wrong because you shouldn't have to strain so much. He said that you can cause tears in the tissue around your anus and can hause hemorrhoids, and anal fissures. These tears can potentially cause serious infections. Dr. Oz recommends the time tested remedy of prune juice. He said that prunes have natural laxatives that can help you with this problem.

How Much Shoud You Pee Each Day?

Dr. Oz says that if you urinating 4-8 times per day you should probably be urinating approximately 2 liters per day. Dr. Oz says that if you are peeing less than this amount he worries about dehydration. He also worries about Kidney Disease because your body isn't making enough urine. Dr. Oz  worries even more if you are peeing too much.  If you are peeing excessively Dr. Oz worries about Diabetes. He says that diabetes makes you pee too much because the sugar will wash out your kidneys. 

Testing Your Urine For Smell

Dr. Oz had the entire audience take out their urine samples and unscrew the top. He wanted them all to smell their urine, and yes he encourages everyone to do it at home. He says that the smell of your pee can give you clues about your health.

• Urine doesn't have any smell at all or only mild smell - Dr. Oz says that if you don't smell any or only sense a mild smell this is ideal and what you want.
• Amonia Smell - If your pee has a strong pungent smell and it is a dark color it means that you are dehydrated and that you should be drinking more fluids. 
• Fruity Smell - Pee that has a fruity smell can be a symptom that you have urine. The fruity smell is coming from glucose (sugar) that is in the pee.