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How light tells you when to sleep, focus and poo

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/frederic-gachon-1379094">Frederic Gachon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/benjamin-weger-1646210">Benjamin Weger</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Exposure to light is crucial for our physical and mental health, as this and future articles in the series will show. But the timing of that light exposure is also crucial. This tells our body to wake up in the morning, when to poo and the time of day to best focus or be alert. When we’re exposed to light also controls our body temperature, blood pressure and even chemical reactions in our body. But how does our body know when it’s time to do all this? And what’s light got to do with it? <h2>What is the body clock, actually?</h2> One of the key roles of light is to re-set our body clock, also known as the circadian clock. This works like an internal oscillator, similar to an actual clock, ticking away as you read this article. But rather than ticking you can hear, the body clock is a network of genes and proteins that regulate each other. This network sends signals to organs via hormones and the nervous system. These complex loops of interactions and communications have a rhythm of about 24 hours. In fact, we don’t have one clock, we have trillions of body clocks throughout the body. The central clock is in the hypothalamus region of the brain, and each cell in every organ has its own. These clocks work in concert to help us adapt to the daily cycle of light and dark, aligning our body’s functions with the time of day. However, our body clock is not precise and works to a rhythm of about 24 hours (24 hours 30 minutes on average). So every morning, the central clock needs to be reset, signalling the start of a new day. This is why light is so important. The central clock is directly connected to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/07487304231225706">light-sensing cells</a> in our retinas (the back of the eye). This daily re-setting of the body clock with morning light is essential for ensuring our body works well, in sync with our environment. In parallel, <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-it-matter-what-time-of-day-i-eat-and-can-intermittent-fasting-improve-my-health-heres-what-the-science-says-203762">when we eat food</a> also plays a role in re-setting the body clock, but this time the clock in organs other than the brain, such as the liver, kidneys or the gut. So it’s easy to see how our daily routines are closely linked with our body clocks. And in turn, our body clocks shape how our body works at set times of the day. <h2>What time of day?</h2> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/627494/original/file-20241023-14-729bed.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Matt Garrow/The Conversation. <a class="source" href="https://delos.com/blog/why-natural-light-is-important-for-mental-and-physical-health/">Adapted from Delos</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> <h2>Let’s take a closer look at sleep</h2> The naturally occurring brain hormone <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30311830/">melatonin</a> is linked to our central clock and makes us feel sleepy at certain times of day. When it’s light, our body stops making melatonin (its production is inhibited) and we are alert. Closer to bedtime, the hormone is made, then secreted, making us feel drowsy. Our sleep is also <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00944/full">partly controlled</a> by <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-genom-121222-120306">our genes</a>, which are part of our central clock. These genes influence our <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-it-matter-what-time-i-go-to-bed-198146">chronotype</a> – whether we are a “lark” (early riser), “night owl” (late sleeper) or a “dove” (somewhere in between). But exposure to light at night when we are supposed to be sleeping can have harmful effects. Even dim light from light pollution can impair our <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2113290119">heart rate and how we metabolise sugar</a> (glucose), may lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-023-00135-8">psychiatric disorders</a> such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, and increases the overall risk of <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2405924121">premature death</a>. The main reason for these harmful effects is that light “at the wrong time” disturbs the body clock, and these effects are more pronounced for “night owls”. This “misaligned” exposure to light is also connected to the detrimental health effects we often see in people who <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-does-night-shift-increase-the-risk-of-cancer-diabetes-and-heart-disease-heres-what-we-know-so-far-190652">work night shifts</a>, such as an increased risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. <h2>How about the gut?</h2> Digestion also follows a circadian rhythm. Muscles in the colon that help move waste <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1572-0241.2004.40453.x">are more active</a> during the day and slow down at night. The most significant increase in colon movement starts at 6.30am. This is one of the reasons why most people feel the urge to poo <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-poo-in-the-morning-a-gut-expert-explains-229624">in the early morning</a> rather than at night. The gut’s day-night rhythm is a direct result of the action of the gut’s own clock and the central clock (which synchronises the gut with the rest of the body). It’s also influenced by when we eat. <h2>How about focusing?</h2> Our body clock also helps control our attention and alertness levels by changing how our brain functions at certain times of day. Attention and alertness levels improve in the afternoon and evening but dip during the night and early morning. Those fluctuations <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2012.00050/full">impact performance</a> and can lead to decreased productivity and an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40914-x">increased risk</a> of errors and accidents during the less-alert hours. So it’s important to perform certain tasks that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30923475/">require our attention</a> at certain times of day. That includes driving. In fact, disruption of the circadian clock at the start of daylight savings – when our body hasn’t had a chance to adapt to the clocks changing – <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982219316781?via%3Dihub">increases the risk</a> of a car accident, particularly in the morning. <h2>What else does our body clock control?</h2> Our body clock influences many other aspects of our biology, including: <ul> <li>physical performance by controlling the activity of our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-023-00805-8">muscles</a></li> <li>blood pressure by controlling the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-time-of-day-should-i-take-my-medicine-125809">system of hormones</a> involved in regulating our blood volume and blood vessels</li> <li>body temperature by controlling our metabolism and our level of physical activity</li> <li>how our body handles drugs and toxins by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17460441.2023.2224554">controlling enzymes</a> involved in how the liver and kidneys eliminate these substances from the body.</li> </ul> <h2>Morning light is important</h2> But what does this all mean for us? Exposure to light, especially in the morning, is crucial for synchronising our circadian clock and bodily functions. As well as setting us up for a good night’s sleep, increased morning light exposure benefits our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032721008612?via%3Dihub">mental health</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/101/9/3539/2806883">reduces the risk of obesity</a>. So boosting our exposure to morning light – for example, by going for a walk, or having breakfast outside – can directly benefit our mental and metabolic health. However, there are other aspects about which we have less control, including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168952524001100">the genes</a> that control our body clock.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236780/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/frederic-gachon-1379094">Frederic Gachon</a>, Associate Professor, Physiology of Circadian Rhythms, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/benjamin-weger-1646210">Benjamin Weger</a>, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow Institute for Molecular Bioscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-light-tells-you-when-to-sleep-focus-and-poo-236780">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Why do I poo in the morning? A gut expert explains

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vincent-ho-141549">Vincent Ho</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> No, you’re not imagining it. People really are more likely to poo in the morning, shortly after breakfast. Researchers have actually studied this. But why mornings? What if you tend to poo later in the day? And is it worth training yourself to be a morning pooper? To understand what makes us poo when we do, we need to consider a range of factors including our body clock, gut muscles and what we have for breakfast. Here’s what the science says. <h2>So morning poos are real?</h2> In a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1379343/">UK study</a> from the early 1990s, researchers asked nearly 2,000 men and women in Bristol about their bowel habits. The most common time to poo was in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1379343/pdf/gut00573-0122.pdf">early morning</a>. The peak time was 7-8am for men and about an hour later for women. The researchers speculated that the earlier time for men was because they woke up earlier for work. About a decade later, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16200717/">a Chinese study</a> found a similar pattern. Some 77% of the almost 2,500 participants said they did a poo in the morning. <h2>But why the morning?</h2> There are a few reasons. The first involves our <a href="https://theconversation.com/circadian-rhythm-nobel-what-they-discovered-and-why-it-matters-85072">circadian rhythm</a> – our 24-hour internal clock that helps regulate bodily processes, such as digestion. For healthy people, our internal clock means the muscular contractions in our colon follow <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19926812/">a distinct rhythm</a>. There’s minimal activity in the night. The deeper and more restful our sleep, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4677652">fewer</a> of these muscle contractions we have. It’s one reason why we don’t tend to poo in our sleep. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/597362/original/file-20240530-21-v2gvrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Diagram of digestive system including colon and rectum" /></a><figcaption>Your lower gut is a muscular tube that contracts more strongly at certain times of day. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/illustration-healthcare-medical-education-drawing-chart-1984316789">Vectomart/Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> But there’s increasing activity during the day. Contractions in our colon are most active in the morning after waking up and after any meal. One particular type of colon contraction partly controlled by our internal clock are known as “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1411356/">mass movements</a>”. These are powerful contractions that push poo down to the rectum to prepare for the poo to be expelled from the body, but don’t always result in a bowel movement. In healthy people, these contractions occur a few times a day. They are more frequent in the morning than in the evening, and after meals. Breakfast is also a trigger for us to poo. When we eat and drink our stomach stretches, which triggers the “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549888/">gastrocolic reflex</a>”. This reflex stimulates the colon to forcefully contract and can lead you to push existing poo in the colon out of the body. We know the gastrocolic reflex is strongest in the morning. So that explains why breakfast can be such a powerful trigger for a bowel motion. Then there’s our morning coffee. This is a very <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2338272/">powerful stimulant</a> of contractions in the sigmoid colon (the last part of the colon before the rectum) and of the rectum itself. This leads to a bowel motion. <h2>How important are morning poos?</h2> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1846921/pdf/brmedj02601-0041.pdf">Large international</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20205503/">surveys</a> show the vast majority of people will poo between three times a day and three times a week. This still leaves a lot of people who don’t have regular bowel habits, are regular but poo at different frequencies, or who don’t always poo in the morning. So if you’re healthy, it’s much more important that your bowel habits are comfortable and regular for you. Bowel motions do not have to occur once a day in the morning. Morning poos are also not a good thing for everyone. <a href="https://gut.bmj.com/content/61/Suppl_2/A318.1">Some people</a> with <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-irritable-bowel-syndrome-and-what-can-i-do-about-it-102579">irritable bowel syndrome</a> feel the urgent need to poo in the morning – often several times after getting up, during and after breakfast. This can be quite distressing. It appears this early-morning rush to poo is due to overstimulation of colon contractions in the morning. <h2>Can you train yourself to be regular?</h2> Yes, for example, to help treat constipation using the gastrocolic reflex. Children and elderly people with constipation can use the toilet immediately after eating breakfast <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549888/">to relieve symptoms</a>. And for adults with constipation, drinking coffee regularly can help stimulate the gut, particularly in the morning. A disturbed circadian rhythm can also lead to irregular bowel motions and people more likely to poo in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7147411/">evenings</a>. So better sleep habits can not only help people get a better night’s sleep, it can help them get into a more regular bowel routine. Regular physical activity and avoiding <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2787735/">sitting down a lot</a> are also important in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16028436/">stimulating bowel movements</a>, particularly in people with constipation. We know <a href="https://theconversation.com/nervous-tummy-why-you-might-get-the-runs-before-a-first-date-106925">stress</a> can contribute to irregular bowel habits. So minimising stress and focusing on relaxation <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5193306/">can help</a> bowel habits become more regular. Fibre from fruits and vegetables also <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/665565/">helps</a> make bowel motions more regular. Finally, ensuring <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-what-causes-constipation-114290">adequate hydration</a> helps minimise the chance of developing constipation, and helps make bowel motions more regular. <h2>Monitoring your bowel habits</h2> Most of us consider pooing in the morning to be regular. But there’s a wide variation in normal so don’t be concerned if your poos don’t follow this pattern. It’s more important your poos are comfortable and regular for you. If there’s a major change in the regularity of your bowel habits that’s concerning you, see your GP. The reason might be as simple as a change in diet or starting a new medication. But sometimes this can signify an important change in the health of your gut. So your GP may need to arrange further investigations, which could include blood tests or imaging.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/229624/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vincent-ho-141549">Vincent Ho</a>, Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-poo-in-the-morning-a-gut-expert-explains-229624">original article</a>. </div>

Body

“I do eat the poo chute”: Sophie Monk’s shrimpy confession

When Sophie Monk, host of Love Island Australia and a regular on The Hundred with Andy Lee, stopped by for a chat on National Prawn Day, it should have been safe to assume that the conversation wouldn’t steer to a prawn’s digestive tract. And yet - somehow for Today show hosts Karl and Sarah, that’s exactly how things went. “From the glitz and glamour of the red carpet to the Sydney Fish Market,” came Sophie’s introduction, before Karl exclaimed, “an ambassador for prawns!” “I’m the face of prawns,” Sophie confirmed. “I don’t think I look like a prawn - I mean, I’m dressed a bit like a prawn - but, yeah, I’m the face of prawns. I get asked to do a lot of endorsements.” Karl, wanting to get to the bottom of Sophie’s surprising career move, asked, “why did you choose this?” “Because prawns are my thing,” Sophie told him, “they’re very Aussie, and everyone kind of eats prawns.” From there, Sophie went on to state that vegans probably didn’t, and Sarah Abo noted that it just “means there’s more for us”. Karl then asked about the “emotional moment” when she’d gotten the call, and Sophie was more than happy to fill him in, telling the hosts “it’s funny you ask, because I get calls for make-up brands - you name it, and I’m like ‘no, it’s not my brand’. Prawns? I went ‘that’s my brand’. “It’s Aussie, everyone loves it.” And it was then that Sophie revealed the truth behind her particular prawn habits, describing how she’s “really good at peeling them … but I do eat the poo chute thing.” Sarah, without missing a beat, told her she “can’t do that, Soph!” But Sophie wasn’t having any of it, telling the pair that she’d given it some thought, and that she’d decided it was okay, “because they just eat little bits of seaweed on the floor, so really - technically - you eat sushi, whatever.” Her carefully considered logic wasn’t enough to sway Karl, who was quick to inform her that he would not - and could not - “do the poo chute”. With his nose scrunched, and Sophie asking why, he stated, “it’s not my thing.” Sarah admitted that it wasn’t her thing either, while Sophie continued to try and convince them, noting “extra nutrition” and efficiency - apparently, her method is quicker. Miraculously, that was then enough for Sarah to change her stance, with the host announcing that she was going to “try the poo thing” the next time she dug into a prawn. “We don’t even know it’s poo,” Sophie continued anyway, to the laughter of both hosts and those hidden behind the scenes, “it comes from the brain to the tail! How do we even know? Maybe it’s just a spine.” “It looks like poo,” was the quick-and-to-the-point response from Karl. “If it looks like it, smells like it, it’s poo.” And, as it turns out, Karl was right. The “poo chute”, or black line, is actually the prawn’s digestive tract. But for those who think Sophie’s on to something, there’s no need to fear - the chute can be eaten, and some professional chefs even think that it has the added benefit of improving the taste of the prawn. Images: Today/Nine

Food & Wine

Deb Knight raises a stink with ongoing dog poo debate

TV and radio presenter Deborah Knight has stirred up an ethical debate on putting dog poo in stranger’s bins. While chatting to journalist Chris O’Keefe on 2GB Sydney, Deb admitted that she is guilty of sneaking the waste into the bins she passes while walking her dog, Scooby. As she explained to Chris, “a bin’s a bin.” The conversation began with Deb explaining that there aren’t as many bins on the side of the road in the city, and that she suspected it had been done to make people take their rubbish home. This led to the question that started it all, “but when you have a dog and you take your dog for a walk and you pick up their business ... is it okay to put that in someone else's bin?" O’Keefe wasn’t so sure, pointing out that he’d seen people write on their bins that they didn’t want droppings placed in there. "But why not?” Deb countered. “Why do you care? It's a bin, right?" O’Keefe suggested that it could be a problem in the summer heat, particularly if the bins were situated near a window - especially a bedroom window. "I reckon a bin's a bin,” Deb repeated, “but some people are very territorial about their bins. When I take Scooby for a walk, if there's a bin out on the nature strip that someone's put out there, I'm gonna put my droppings in it.” O’Keefe seemed to consider this, before finally making a confession of his own, telling Deb, “in the middle of the night, when my bins are overflowing - I've got nappy bags, I've got cardboard boxes - and I am just searching the street for bins. Any real estate and our stuff's going in." While Deb and O’Keefe managed to laugh it off, allowing that they might be revealing too much, the same couldn’t be said for the last time this debate erupted in the media. In July 2022, news.com.au reported on one Sydney resident who penned a note to the dog walkers behind the unwanted bin additions. “Dog owners,” it read. “Please do not put dog poo in residents’ empty bins.” It went on to call those owners “inconsiderate”, and sparked an intense conversation between those on both sides. Some believed the bins - which technically belong to the council - were “fair game”, while others declared that they accepted the responsibility of waste disposal when they welcomed their dogs to the family. Some simply mentioned that it was, in the end, a better solution than leaving the poo on the pavement. Images: Getty

Family & Pets

Couple in strife for flinging dog poo at Russian neighbour

A couple who allegedly threw dog poo at their Russian neighbour and threatened him are now facing ethnic discrimination charges. Over the past few weeks, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has been investigating several incidents of harassment and intimidation directed at the Russian man. Police said yard signs were defaced with political and anti-national messages, a bag of rice with a similar message was thrown onto his property and he was subject to coarse language and threats. The messages condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin, and dog poo was left in the yard. According to police, an immediate neighbour and his family have reported being harassed almost everyday since Russia invaded Ukraine. One of the victims of this abuse was identified as Vasily Potanin, his father Vladimir Potanin is a multi-billionaire and used to be Russia's deputy prime minister. Mr Potanin says he does not support Russia's attack on Ukraine. “They assume that just because of my nationality, I must be profiting from that. I’m Putin’s spy. I work for him. All this nonsense,” he said. “Honestly I think for them, the best thing that can happen is they can have the consequences legally for their actions and they should face them.” Mr Potanin said he had received hateful messages in the mail, ordering him to leave the neighbourhood in which he has resided for four years. Image: Pittsburgh Police

Legal

Dog poo dumper caught on camera

A Canadian woman has made a shocking discovery after dog poo started mysteriously appearing on her driveway. Sasha Poldmaa, who lives in New Zealand and owns three dogs of her own, had been coming home from work to find the poo scattered across her driveway for three days straight in mid-February. She told news.com.au and confirmed in a now-viral <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sashapoldmaa/video/7063336925414853889?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok video</a> that she has never had issues with her pets or received complaints about them from her neighbours - making the discovery all the more baffling. “I thought it was strange for it to happen two days in a row - someone was definitely putting it there. Then when it happened a third time, I was like, ‘I am going to set up a camera and catch who’s doing it’.” After setting her iPad up directly in front of her dogs’ kennel, along with a second at the top of her driveway, Sasha reviewed the footage after work and uncovered the culprit: her neighbour. “The way she did it - she was just throwing them right where I get out of the car,” Sasha told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/nz-neighbour-caught-throwing-dog-poo-on-womans-driveway/news-story/e9a9b43d6c67a1eaea0d1619ceed4a25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “I don’t even walk [the dogs] past her house - I go the other way and there are other dogs in the neighbourhood.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRGbaDmr1zl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRGbaDmr1zl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sasha Poldmaa (@sashapoldmaa)</a> </div> </blockquote> After making the discovery, she wrote a stern letter to her neighbour. “Dear Neighbour, I was shocked to find out after reviewing the video surveillance of my house, it was because of your arrogant and frightening assumptions on my negligent animal ownership that led to three consecutive days of driveway dog poo dumping,” her letter read. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/tiktok3.png" alt="" width="530" height="936" /> Sasha penned a letter to her neighbour after discovering they were behind the mysterious appearance of dog poo on her driveway. Image: @sashapoldmaa (TikTok) “Now firstly I took the opportunity to return the faeces to your property using my own doggie poo bags which you’d see me walking with IF I ever did actually walk down your direction in the street. “Because this is something that I refuse to ignore as a result of your repeated and deliberate acts of bitterness towards my family … you should expect a friendly visit from the local police in the coming days as you are not only chargeable under the nuisance laws but I am genuinely concerned for the safety of my pets because of your hatred towards them. “P.S. An apology would be welcomed in exchange for not demanding costs for damages,” she ended the letter. Several days after placing the letter in her neighbour’s letterbox, Sasha revealed in a follow-up video that the neighbour had knocked on her door to apologise. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/tiktok.png" alt="" width="530" height="933" /> Sasha’s neighbour came to apologise after she placed a letter in her letterbox. Image: @sashapoldmaa (TikTok) It seemed the neighbour had found the faeces on her lawn and assumed it came from Sasha’s dogs, to which Sasha said there are many other dogs in the area it could belong to. Sasha captured parts of the conversation she had with the neighbour, including their apology. “I am so sorry, I’d rather you had have come to me in the first place,” the neighbour said in the clip. “I must admit I’m very sorry but I’ve thrown the dog poo bags over the back corner. It was an assumption I guess. “I felt quite sick and horrible afterwards. I really do apologise. Ah well the laugh’s on me so let’s face it.” Sasha said the encounter ended well and praised her neighbour’s courage for coming over to apologise. “I told her next time you have an issue just come and talk to me about it,” Sasha said. Images: @sashapoldmaa (TikTok)

Family & Pets

Food can play a part of the colour of your poo and pee

<h1>Optimal pee and poo colour for your health</h1> <h2>Food, medications and illnesses can all play a part.</h2> <div class="copy"> Out of the blue I passed bright red pee. I freaked, thinking it was a sign of terminal disease. Then I remembered the roasted beetroot tarts served at the party the night before – so delicious I’d eaten three! Beetroot, artificial colours, vitamin supplements and medications can change the colour of your urine or bowel motions. Knowing which colour changes are due to food or medicines can save you worry, or provide an early alert to get to the doctor. <h2>Beeturia</h2> Beeturia is the term for passing red urine after eating beetroot. The red colour comes from a pigment called betalain, also in some flower petals, fruit, leaves, stems and roots. Concentrated beetroot extract, called Beet Red or additive number 162 on food labels, can be added to “pink” foods, such as ice-cream. Whether betalain turns your pee red or not depends on the type of beetroot, amount eaten and how it’s prepared, because betalain is destroyed by heat, light and acid. How much betalain enters your digestive tract depends on stomach acid and stomach emptying rate (people taking medications to reduce stomach acid may be prone to beeturia). Once in the blood stream, betalain pigments are filtered out by the kidneys. Most is eliminated two to eight hours after eating. Persistent red urine can be due to blood loss, infection, enlarged prostate, cancer, cysts, kidney stones or after a long-distance run. If you see red and have not been eating beetroot, see your doctor. <h2>What should your pee look like?</h2> Normal pee should be the colour of straw. If your pee is so colourless that it looks like water, you probably drank more than you needed. Very dark yellow pee usually means you are a bit dehydrated and need to drink more water. Compare your pee colour to the Cleveland Clinic’s scale below. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic <h2>Strange pee colours due to food, drugs or disease</h2> Pee the colour of syrup or molasses needs medical investigation. While it could be due to extreme dehydration, it can be a sign of liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, where a build up of bilirubin spills into your pee. Bilirubin is a breakdown product of red blood cells; it’s also responsible for poo’s normal brown colour. Pee can turn bright orange or yellow when taking beta-carotene or vitamin B supplements, especially large doses of riboflavin (vitamin B2). These supplements are water soluble. What your body can’t use or store gets filtered out via your kidneys and into pee. Medications including phenazopyridine (for urinary tract infections), rifampin (antibiotic for treating tuberculosis and Legionnaire’s disease), warfarin (blood thinner) and some laxatives can also change pee colour. If you pass blue or green pee, it’s most likely due to food colouring or methylene blue used in some diagnostic test procedures and some drugs. But a range of medications can also trigger blue or green urine. These include antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, antibacterials, antidepressants, some nausea drugs or those for reducing stomach acid. Rare genetic conditions Hartnup disease and Blue diaper syndrome cause blue-green urine. So see your doctor if it persists or it happens in an infant. You should never see purple pee, but hospital staff might. “Purple urine bag” syndrome happens in patients with catheters and infections or complications. The catheter or bag turns purple due to a chemical reaction between protein breakdown products in urine and the plastic. Occasionally, pee can be frothy. It’s a normal reaction if protein intake is high and pee comes out fast. It is more likely if you consume protein powders or protein supplements. Excess protein can’t be stored in the body so the nitrogen component (responsible for the froth) gets removed and the kidneys excrete it as urea. See your doctor if the frothiness doesn’t go away or gets worse, as protein can leak into pee if you have kidney disease. <h2>Poo colours of the rainbow</h2> Normal poo colour ranges from light yellow to brown to black. The colour is due to a mix of bile, which starts off green in the gall bladder, and bilirubin a yellow breakdown product from red blood cells. Poo can turn green after consuming food and drink containing blue or green food colouring, or if food travels too fast through the gut and some bile is still present. Poo that is yellow, greasy and smells really bad signals food malabsorption. If this colour is associated with weight loss in an adult or poor growth in a child, see a doctor to rule out gut infections such as giardia or medical conditions like coeliac disease. Very pale or clay-coloured poo can happen when taking some anti-diarrhoeal medications, or when digestive problems affect the liver, gut, pancreas or gall bladder. At the other extreme of the colour spectrum, black poo could be a serious medical issue due to bleeding in the stomach or upper gut. Or it could be a harmless side-effect from taking iron supplements, or eating lots of licorice. Red poo can also be a serious medical issue due to bleeding in the lower gut, or from haemorrhoids, or harmless after having large amounts of red food colouring. If you don’t know what colour your pee or poo is, take a look. If you see a colour that’s out of the ordinary and you haven’t eaten anything unusual, take a picture and make an appointment to show your GP. Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle; Kristine Pezdirc, Research Associate | Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Newcastle, and Megan Rollo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Newcastle  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=11561&title=Optimal+pee+and+poo+colour+for+your+health" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by The Conversation. The Conversation is an independent, not-for-profit media outlet that uses content sourced from the academic and research community. </div>

Food & Wine

Climate change activists dump a huge pile of poo in front of minister's office in protest

Climate change activities have dumped a huge pile of horse manure in front of Simon Birmingham’s Adelaide office because they say Australia’s contribution to the COP26 climate summit “stunk most of all”. Extinction Rebellion protesters dressed in hazmat suits dumped numerous bags of the animal dung outside the federal Finance Minister’s office along Sir Donald Bradman Dr at Hilton on Friday morning. A video broadcasted live on Facebook shows activists at the premises where a sign was propped into the top of the manure heap that read “climate pariah”. A sign reading “Glasglow was a sh*t show and “Your gas stinks”. “We are currently in a climate code red and all we’ve witnessed lately is Glasgow’s sh*t show.” “We have left a nice message of some very organic horse manure which hopefully senator Birmingham will feel quite at home with, with all the sh*t that’s been going around.” One passer-by, who did not wish to be identified, said the stunt was “the best I’ve seen in all my 84 years”. Extinction Rebellion took to social media to say Prime Minister Scott Morrison took a “weak, non-binding ‘plan’ with no new policies or mandates” to the summit. “(Australia) also refused to sign global pledges aimed at limiting methane emissions and phasing out fossil fuel production,” the post read. “Instead, the government continued to shamelessly spruik coal and gas. “Birmingham assures us that Australia is ‘over-achieving’ on climate. That’s what ScoMo was going to tell the world at COP26. “There’s political spin and then there’s BS. Clearly Birmingham is full of it. “The #COP26 climate summit was bullsh*t and Australia’s contribution stunk most of all.” he South Australian senator responded to the act with a witty tweet saying he’d “hate to see unnecessary waste”. “Any eager western suburbs gardeners are most welcome to help themselves to some spring fertiliser,” he posted. Senator Birmingham, who is in Adelaide, told ABC Radio that he hadn’t yet been into his office but his staff were faced with the “unpleasant welcoming”. “Whatever point Extinction Rebellion ever make, if they’re going to harass somebody I’m more grateful they’re disrupting me and my office than gluing themselves to the roads around Victoria Square and disrupting tens of thousands of South Australians like they did a couple weeks ago,” he said. “These are extremists who wouldn't ever be satisfied by anything.” “Let’s appreciate Australia’s made the commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 … We’re investing billions of dollars doing so.” “We’re one of the few countries in the world who can say we’ve met and exceeded all the commitments we've made to date and yet these guys, of course, still cry out in juvenile ways for more.”

Legal

Woman shot dead over argument about dog poo

A 21-year-old woman has died after a neighbour allegedly shot at her and her boyfriend while they were walking their dog. Isabella Thallas and Darian Simon were strolling through Downtown Denver, in the US state of Colorado, on June 10 when Michael Close allegedly became furious as their dog relieved itself. The shooting took place after a man began to yell at Simon for commanding the dog “to poop,” said police. Close was arrested and taken into custody in Park County. Ms Thallas died at the scene and Mr Simon is currently recovering in hospital after being shot in the leg and butt, according to authorities. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Thallas family because her mother, Ana Thallas, has been on furlough and unable to work. “The family needs our help with funeral and living expenses,” the GoFundMe, set up by a friend of the family, says. “A mother should never have to bury her child and especially for such a violent reason.” “She was such a beautiful, innocent soul,” her mother Ana Thallas said according to the Associated Press. Her father, Josh Thallas, said his heart was broken. “I’ve never gone to sleep crying and woke up crying in my life. I’ve been through a lot,” Mr Thallas said. “I can’t replace what was taken today.” Ms Thallas had turned 21 just days before her death. A GoFundMe has also been set up to help Mr Simon, who is the co-founder and co-owner of Be A Good Person, a brand “developed based on a passion for positivity and a brighter future that we foresee within our society”. His team is “completely shattered”, according to the statement posted on the website. On June 12, Be A Good Person announced their store would be closed temporarily, while thanking the Denver community for its support. “We are overwhelmed in the face of tragedy. But we see you rallying in support, we hear you sending love, and we thank you,” the post said. “Our deepest condolences go out to the Thallas family. A beautiful soul was lost too soon. We are hurting with you.” The Thallas family has said they are seeking to convert the spot where Isabella Thallas died into a dog park. More than 100 people showed up for a vigil to remember Ms Thallas, while Mr Simon watched the vigil from his hospital bed through Facetime, according to ABC7. According to ABC7, police allegedly found an AR-15 and a handgun Close’s vehicle. He is facing first-degree murder and attempted murder charges.

Family & Pets

What your poo says about your health

Opening your bowels is a basic function of life. But despite the fact we all do it, pooing is not often thought to be a topic suitable for polite conversation. However, recent <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43674270">popular interest in gut health</a> and the composition of poo – as well as the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/26/the-human-microbiome-why-our-microbes-could-be-key-to-our-health">bacterial populations that live within it</a> – have helped to put bodily functions more on the map. And these days, more and more people are wondering how often you should go, what happens if you don’t go enough and how you can influence the composition of what is passed. In the late 1980s, Professor Ken Heaton and colleagues conducted a <a href="http://gut.bmj.com/content/gutjnl/33/6/818.full.pdf">survey of the population</a> in East Bristol, in the UK. They reported the common wisdom that “99% of people defecate between three times per week and three times per day” which was revealed in an earlier study of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1846921/">factory workers and GP patients</a>. In Bristol, they noted that although the most common bowel habit was once daily, it only occurred in 40% of men and a third of women. How often we go for a number two can differ from person to person. We all have what’s known as a “<a href="https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/0016-5085(78)90864-8/abstract">gastro-colic reflex</a>” – which means that each time we eat food, our large bowel responds and we should go to the toilet. Through a range of hormones we will experience a “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12870774">call to stool</a>”. Most of us, however – from the time we can walk – suppress this call, so once a day or less has become the new norm. Urgency, diarrhoea, and constipation can all be features of not going to the toilet enough. And associated with this “relative” constipation are symptoms of bloating, pain and variability of bowel habit. A simple test of how your bowels are working is the “sweetcorn test”. By swallowing a handful of raw sweetcorn – which is not absorbed by the body – the brightly coloured kernels can be easily seen in your motions. This is an easy way to assess your own mouth-to-anus transit time. It should probably be about eight hours. <h2>The composition of poo</h2> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26246784">Poo is made up of 75% water</a>. The rest, which is the solid stuff, is up to 50% microbes plus cells that are shed from the bowel lining and food residue. The collective name for the microbes that live inside us is the microbiome and at one time, it was thought that the bugs outnumbered our cells by ten to one. <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002533">Recent data</a> suggests this may be closer to a ratio of 1.3 to 1 but this will obviously depend on how often you go. Bacteria, viruses, fungi and single cell microbes make up the microbiome and all <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4181834/">may be critical</a> to our health and well-being. From a positive perspective, the bugs in our guts not only breakdown undigestible foodstuffs, but they also produce critical nutrients, prevent certain infections and contribute to the development of our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095809917301492">immune defence systems</a>. However, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05414">obesity</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23023125">type two diabetes</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25870193">high blood pressure</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17699621">inflammatory bowel disease</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23370376">autoimmune disorders</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22968153">mental health problems</a> have all been linked to dysbiosis – or change of the microbiome. <h2>Gut feelings</h2> Establishment of our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24503132">microbiome starts at birth</a> and is influenced by the way we are born – either vaginally or by Cesarean – and initially fed. By the time we start eating solid food, we are well on the way to establishing our adult microbiome. What we subsequently <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303825/">eat can have an impact on the composition</a>, although this effect may be modest. Our diets also may influence the metabolic products of our microbiome – these are the chemicals that the individual organisms produce – which can also have an impact on us as the host. Fibre, fat, sugars, artificial sweeteners have all been shown to modulate the composition of the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303825/">gastrointestinal microbiota</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21767445">Experimental data</a> suggests that prebiotic fibres change gut microbiota and increase hormones that tell us that we are full. <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/emma-beckett">Current ongoing research</a> has also shown that antibiotic induced microbial imbalance is associated with changes in bitter taste expression – which influences the foods we prefer to eat. All these relationships are complex, and scientists are just beginning to understand their full impact. The ultimate way to alter our microbiome is a <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002503">faecal transplant</a>, where you take on board the poo from someone else. Unpleasant as this may sound, encouraging data is emerging on the use of poo in the treatment of gastrointestinal infections such as clostridium difficile, early diabetes, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. But it may still be a while before you can buy prized poo over the counter in your local supermarket.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95724/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-veysey-469454">Martin Veysey</a>, Programme Director MBBS at Hull York Medical School, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-hull-1191">University of Hull</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-your-poo-says-about-your-health-95724">original article</a>.

Body

Why is my poo green?

It’s happened to many of us at some point in our lives: we finish our bowel movement, look down in the bowl and have a moment of panic when we see an unusual colour. Poo can be found in many colours other than brown, with green poo often eliciting concern. But it’s surprisingly common and is usually no reason to be alarmed. Why poo is usually brown The brown colour of poo initially comes from the red of blood. Haemoglobin is the red protein in blood that transports oxygen around the body. It’s eventually broken down into a substance called bilirubin. In the liver, bilirubin is used to form bile and is released into the small bowel to help digest food. Bile then passes into the colon and the bilirubin is broken down by bacteria. The final stage in the process is the addition of a substance called stercobilin, which gives poo its brown colour. All shades of brown are considered normal. Green poo in adults Stool colour is very heavily influenced by the substances in the gut that digest food and what you eat. Green stools contain <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2305176">significantly more bile acids</a> than brown stools. If food is moving through the bowel very quickly – if you have diarrhoea, for instance – there isn’t enough time for the green bile to break down completely, giving stools a green colour. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.tb09947.x">Green leafy vegetables</a> such as spinach and lettuce contain large amounts of chlorophyll (green pigment) bound to magnesium. This can lead to stools turning green. Some green food dyes such as <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Natural-green-3">natural green 3</a> contain chlorophyll (green pigment) bound to copper which can <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/98/25/14601">turn stools a dark green</a>. Why do babies have green poo? A newborn’s first stool, called meconium, is very often dark green. <a href="https://fn.bmj.com/content/97/6/F465.long">Green stools in formula-fed infants</a> are often due to formulas containing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3876420">high amounts of iron</a>. But even for breastfed infants it’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12318490">normal</a> to have yellow-green or green poo. In fact, it’s normal for babies’ poo to be many different colours. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/col.21919">One study</a> found pale stools were caused by partially digested milk fats, yellow stools were due to stercobilin (which is also involved in making poo brown) and other similar compounds, and dark stools due to bilirubin or the presence of meconium. What about other colours of poo? Blue Some food dyes, food additives and naturally occurring colours are unable to be completely broken down in the gut and this can distinctly colour poo. Children who have consumed a lot of blue-coloured drinks, for instance, often poo blue. Blueberries can also turn poo blue because of a type of antioxidant called anthrocyanin. Most anthrocyanins in blue berries are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/03602532.2014.978080">broken down</a> by the time they reach the colon, so kids with blue poo will either have consumed quite a lot or the berries are moving quickly through the gut. Children with diarrhoea have a very rapid gut transit and stools often come out the same colour as the food that went in. Orange Orange stools can be due to beta carotene, a compound found in particular vegetables such as carrots and butternut pumpkin. Poo can also be <a href="https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2018-05-11-listicle-what-color-is-your-poop.aspx">orange</a> because of the effects of antacids containing aluminium hydroxide, a naturally occurring salt. Yellow Yellow-coloured poo is often normal but a greasy, foul-smelling yellow stool that floats on the toilet water can mean it contains an excess of fat. Occasionally, this can arise from conditions such as undiagnosed coeliac disease, where the immune system reacts abnormally to gluten and the small bowel doesn’t properly absorb fat. Pale, cream or clay-cloured Abnormally pale or clay-coloured stools can indicate a blockage of bile from the liver to the small intestine. This means it doesn’t go through the last stage of getting its brown colour, through the addition of stercobilin. This results in poo having a very distinct pale cream appearance. <a href="https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/52/5/360.full.pdf">One in 14,000 Australian babies</a> are born with a condition called biliary atresia, where the bile ducts outside and inside the liver are scarred and blocked. Bile is unable to flow out of the liver, which can lead to liver scarring. Biliary atresia can be treated with surgery but early diagnosis is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22933100">important</a>. Pale coloured poo may also indicate the presence of an intestinal <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19825279">parasite</a> or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6013661/">bacteria</a>. Red Red poo could be due to red food colouring, tomato juice and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/713000">beetroot</a>. However, bright red blood in the poo usually means internal bleeding from the bowel. Causes of red blood in the poo can include conditions such as haemorrhoids and anal fissures (small, thin tears) but may be the sign of a more sinister bowel cancer. Black There can be a number of harmless causes for black poo such as eating black licorice. Medications are another reason. Iron tablets and many antibiotics can turn poo black. (Antibiotics are also known to turn poo into <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3736790/">different shades</a> of green, white, pink and orange.) Black, tar-like poo can indicate bleeding from higher up in the digestive tract, such as from an oesophageal or stomach ulcer. Should you be worried? Changes to the colour of your poo are usually temporary. Getting rid of the culprit – by finishing the medication or removing the responsible food from the diet, for instance – should be able to return poo colour to its normal shade of brown. If the odd colour persists, it may signify an underlying medical condition and warrant further investigation. Black, red and very pale poo are the more concerning colours and should be checked out by your GP. Written by Vincent Ho. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-my-poo-green-120975">The Conversation.</a>

Caring

Australia’s pristine beaches have a poo problem

Australians love our iconic coastal lifestyle. So many of our settlements are spread along our huge coastline. Real estate prices soar where we can catch a view of the water. But where there are crowded communities, there is sewage. And along the coast it brings a suite of problems associated with managing waste, keeping the marine environment healthy, and keeping recreational swimmers safe. Sewage is not a sexy topic. People often have an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude. But where does sewage go, and is it treated and disposed of in the waters that we Australians love? The bigger the coastal community, the bigger the volume of sewage. Disposal of human waste into the ocean might solve one problem, but we now realise that the “waste” is as precious as the ocean it pollutes. Understanding the problem from a national perspective Such problems play out continuously along our coastline. Each isolated community and catchment issue arises and is resolved, often in ignorance of and isolation from similar issues somewhere else. At present, places where sewage impacts are generating community concern include <a href="https://aboutregional.com.au/merimbula-ocean-outfall-is-that-really-our-best-option/">Merimbula</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/how-a-wave-of-nurdles-woke-up-the-people-of-warrnambool-20180928-p506md.html">Warrnambool</a> and, perhaps most bizarrely, <a href="https://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/water-the-environment/what-we-re-doing/current-projects/improving-our-wastewater-system/refresh-vaucluse-and-diamond-bay/index.htm">Vaucluse and Diamond Bay</a> in Sydney’s affluent eastern suburbs. It’s hard to believe this location has raw and untreated sewage from 3,500 people discharged directly into the Tasman Sea. Sydney Water pledged in 2018 to fix this unsightly pollution by transferring the flow to the nearby Bondi sewage treatment plant. Community group <a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/project/project-c4-national-outfall-database">Clean Ocean Foundation</a> has worked with the Marine Biodiversity Hub to start the process of viewing outfall pollution – where a drain or sewer empties into the sea – as part of a bigger picture. It’s a first step towards understanding from a national perspective. Together they have produced the <a href="https://www.outfalls.info/">National Outfall Database</a> to provide the first Australia-wide comparison. The best and worst offenders Previously the information available to the public was sketchy and often not easily accessed. The database shows how differently Australia manages coastal sewage with information on the outfalls. Clean Ocean Foundation CEO John Gemmill said: Water authorities in the main do a great job with severe funding constraints. But they can be reticent to divulge information publicly. <a href="https://www.cleanocean.org/news/cof-major-report-released-class-a-by-2030">One authority</a>, suspicious of the research project, initially refused to give the location of the outfall, claiming it would be vandalised by enraged “surfies and fishermen”. Sydney has Australia’s biggest outfall. It provides primary treatment at Malabar, New South Wales, and serves about 1.7 million people. The outfall releases about 499 megalitres (ML) per day of treated sewage, called “effluent”. That’s about eight Olympic-sized swimming pools of effluent an hour. It is <a href="https://www.cleanocean.org/flow-volumes.html">discharged</a> to the Pacific Ocean 3.6 kilometres from the shoreline at a depth of 82 metres. The cleanest outfall (after sustained advocacy over decades from the Clean Ocean Foundation) is Boags Rock, in southern Melbourne. It <a href="https://www.outfalls.info/detail/locations/49">releases</a> tertiary-treated sewage with Class A+ water. This means the quality is very suitable for reuse and has no faecal bacteria detected (Enterococci or E.coli). Recycling sewage Treated sewage is 99% water. The last 1% is what determines if the water will harm human and environmental health. Are we wasting a precious resource by disposing of it in the ocean? As desalination plants are cranking up in Sydney and Melbourne to extract pure water from salty ocean, why shouldn’t we also recycle sewage? Clean Ocean Foundation has released <a href="https://www.cleanocean.org/2019-upgrading-australias-outfalls.html">a report</a> showing it would pay to treat sewage more thoroughly and reuse it. This report finds upgrading coastal sewage outfalls to a higher level of treatment will provide tens of billions of dollars in benefits. Industry analysis <a href="https://www.cleanocean.org/2019-upgrading-australias-outfalls.html">suggests</a> that, for a cost outlay of between A$7.3 billion and A$10 billion, sewage treatment upgrades can deliver between A$12 billion and A$28 billion in net benefits – that is, the financial benefits above and beyond what it cost to put new infrastructure in place. Then there are non-economic benefits such as improved ecological and human health, and improved recreational and tourism opportunities by use of suitable recycling processes. What the rest of Australia can learn from WA Clean Ocean Foundation president Peter Smith <a href="https://static-promote.weebly.com/share/489288f8-e62b-40d8-b766-828e110cd013">said</a> Australia’s key decision-makers now, more than before, have a “golden opportunity” to adopt a sea change in water reform around coastal Australia based on good science and sound economic analysis. In the context of the drought of southeast Australia, recycling water from ocean outfalls is an option that demands further debate. As expensive desalination plants are switched on, <a href="https://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/water-the-environment/how-we-manage-sydney-s-water/wastewater-network/wastewater-treatment-plants/index.htm">Sydney proposes</a> to double the size of its desalination plant – just a few kilometres from massive ocean outfalls that could provide so much recycled water. And to our shame, NSW ocean outfalls are among the lowest in standards of treatment. Western Australia, on the other hand, leads the push to recycle wastewater as it continues to struggle with diminishing surface water from climate change. In fact, in 2017 the Water Corporation <a href="https://watersource.awa.asn.au/business/partnerships/perth-recycled-water-project-gets-262-million-investment/">announced</a> massive investment in highly treated sewage being used to replenish groundwater supplies. Perth now sources 20% of its drinking water from groundwater, reducing its reliance on two desalination plants. A key factor was successful engagement with affected communities. The discharge of poorly treated sewage to rivers, estuaries and oceans is a matter of national environmental significance and the Commonwealth should take a coordinating role. Our oceans do not respect state boundaries. The time is ripe for a deliberate national approach to recycling sewage and improved systems to manage outfalls. Written by Ian Wright, Andrew Fischer, Boyd Dirk Blackwell, Qurratu A’yunin Rohmana and Simon Toze. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-pristine-beaches-have-a-poo-problem-116175">The Conversation</a>.

Travel Tips

What your poo is really made of

Vincent Ho is a senior lecturer and clinical academic gastroenterologist at Western Sydney University. If you’ve ever thought your poo is just a bunch of dead cells, think again. Most of it is alive, teeming with billions of microbes. Here’s what <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6089542">studies</a> in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500995/">healthy adults</a> reveal makes up our poo. Water Our faeces is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500995/">largely (75%) made up</a> of water, although this differs from person to person. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9771336">Vegetarians</a> have a higher water content in their stools. Those who consume less fibre and more protein have a lower water content. Fibre has a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1333426">high water-carrying ability</a> and makes our stools more bulky, increases the frequency of bowel movements and makes the process of passing bowel motions easier. The other 25% of faeces is made up of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500995/">solids</a>, which are mainly organic (relating to living matter) materials. A small proportion of solids is made up of inorganic material such as calcium and iron phosphate as well as dried constituents of digestive juices. Around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7359576">25-54%</a> of the organic material is made up of microbes (dead and living), such as bacteria and viruses. Microbes Bacteria in faeces have been <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(16)00053-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867416000532%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">extensively studied</a>. It’s estimated there are nearly 100 billion bacteria per gram of wet stool. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1183343/">One study</a> that looked at a collection of fresh stools in oxygen-free conditions (as oxygen can <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0170922">damage certain types of bacteria</a>) found almost 50% of the bacteria were alive. The different types of bacteria present in faeces can influence how hard or loose stool samples can be. For example, <a href="https://gut.bmj.com/content/65/1/57">Prevotella bacteria</a>, which can be found in the mouth, vagina and gut, are more commonly seen in those with soft stools. In fact, a high-fibre diet is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3368382/">strongly associated</a> with these bacteria. <a href="https://gut.bmj.com/content/65/1/57">Ruminococcaceae</a> bacteria, which are common gut microbes that break down complex carbohydrates, favour harder stools. Viruses have been less studied than bacteria as components of the gut microbiota – the population of bacteria and viruses that live in our gut. It <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208976/">is estimated</a> there are 100 million to 1 billion viruses per gram of wet faeces in most of us. This number can change considerably when people become sick with viral gastroenteritis, such as in norovirus infections, where levels of <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/14/10/08-0117_article">more than a trillion viruses per gram</a> of stool can be found. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YB-8JEo_0bI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Certain types of viruses that infect bacteria, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4312520/">called bacteriophages</a>, have been linked to diseases of the gut like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaea">Archaea</a> are bacteria-like microbes that can inhabit some of the most extreme environments on Earth such as hot springs, deep sea vents or extremely acidic waters. Archaea that produce methane are known to live in the human gut and account for around <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1004833">10% of non-oxygen-dependent microbes</a>. Such methane-producing archaea like Methanobrevibacter are associated with harder stools and constipation as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19830557">methane can slow down intestinal movement</a>. It is believed there are around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3721294">100 million archaea</a> per gram of wet faeces. Single-celled fungi (yeasts) are present in the gut of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002503">about 70% of healthy adults</a>. They occur in estimated concentrations of up to a million microorganisms per gram of wet faeces but <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18584522">comprise only a small</a> proportion (0.03%) of all microbes. Other organic material Some of the organic material includes <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500995/">carbohydrates</a> or any other undigested plant matter, protein and undigested fats. Faeces does not contain large quantities of carbohydrates as the majority of what we eat is absorbed. However, undigested amounts remain as dietary fibre. Some <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002503">2-25% of organic matter</a> in faeces is due to nitrogen-containing substances such as undigested dietary protein, and protein from bacteria and cells lining the colon that have been shed. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7211735">Fats contribute</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9734752">2-15%</a> of the organic material in our faeces. The amount of fat excreted into our stools is highly dependent on dietary intake. Even with no fat intake, though, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500995/">we do get some excretion of fat</a> into our faeces. Fat in faeces can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500995/">come from bacteria</a> in the form of short-chain fatty acids when they ferment foods, in addition to undigested dietary fat. Plastic particles A <a href="https://www.ueg.eu/press/releases/ueg-press-release/article/ueg-week-microplastics-discovered-in-human-stools-across-the-globe-in-first-study-of-its-kind/">recent study</a> has found that microscopic plastic particles can appear in our faeces when we drink from plastic bottles or eat foods that have been wrapped in plastic. This small study of eight participants who were exposed to plastics in their food and drink identified up to nine different types of plastics in their stools. But we need larger studies and additional analytical research to understand the clinical significance of this. Poo is different in disease Not everyone’s poo is going to be the same. Diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease can lead to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016508514002200">changes in the type of bacteria in our gut</a> and result in raised <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/dg11">inflammatory proteins</a> that can be detected in our stool. The presence of blood in the stool could signal bowel cancer, though this isn’t always the case. Fortunately there is a <a href="https://www.cancer.org.au/content/pdf/HealthProfessionals/ClinicalGuidelines/ClinicalpracticeguidelinesJuly2008.pdf">good screening test</a> that can pick up the presence of trace blood in the stools and lead to further investigations such as a colonoscopy. Written by Vincent Ho. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102848/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

Body

We asked 5 experts: Do we have to poo every day?

Some days you might find yourself in and out of the toilet, and some days might go by without a single visit for a Number Two. Should this be a cause for concern? We asked five experts if we have to poo every day. Five out of five experts said 'No'. Here's what they had to say. Christopher Hair, Gastroenterologist – No "The human body is complex, which helps to explain why so many 'normal' functions differ between people, including sleep, urination and defecation. What is perceived as normal for many, is [not] normal for others. Pooing is one such example of this range. What is normal is well defined yet broad. In <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28762379" target="_blank">many studies</a> into normal ‘healthy’ defecation, normal pooing ranges from three times per day to three times per week. Less than 40% of healthy people poo once a day." Hair continues, "Pooing out of the normal for an individual might signify illness such as infection (pooing more) or cancer (pooing blood). Sometimes not pooing at all might indicate illness, such as a metabolic condition." Damien Belobrajdic, Research Scientist – No "Opening your bowels every day is not essential for the proper functioning of your digestive system. However, long periods without bowel movements (fewer than three three stools per week) can cause a number of complications such as haemorrhoids, anal fissures or faecal impaction. Constipation can be caused by many factors, including a range of medical conditions, some medications (such as opioids, some antacids), nutritional supplements (such as iron) and of course, a diet low in fibre." Belobrajdic adds, "The best way to promote optimal digestive health and regular bowel motions is to drink plenty of water and consume high fibre foods at every meal. This can be achieved through a varied diet including wholegrain breads and cereals, legumes, nuts and seeds, vegetables and fresh fruits." Dan Worthley, Gastroenterologist – No "In a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28762379" target="_blank">recent large study</a> of 4,775 people reporting 'normal' bowel patterns, it was found that about 95% of people move their bowels between three and 21 times weekly. So between three times a day and three times a week is what I like to call the 'Goldilocks zone for pooing'." Worthley continues, "But just as important as frequency, is form. To describe our stool consistency, we use the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9299672" target="_blank">Bristol Stool Form Scale</a> which uses a seven-point scale ranging from Type 1 'separate hard lumps, like nuts' to Type 7 'watery no solid pieces'. Type 4 ('Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft') is the Nirvana of all bowel actions, but <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9299672" target="_blank">50% of normal patients </a>report some variation from this." Jakob Begun, Gastroenterologist – No "Stool is the end product of our gut metabolising our food, and it consists of non-absorbed material, microbes and water. Each week the average person produces between 500 and 1,100 grams of stool. The frequency of defecation is governed by many factors including diet, the intrinsic motor activity of the gut, the rectal capacity, behavioural factors, as well as the gut microbiome. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28762379" target="_blank">Studies have generally confirmed</a> the 'three and three' rule – that normal bowel frequency varies between three times a day, and once every three days." Begun adds, "When assessing whether people have constipation there's an emphasis on symptoms in addition to stool frequency. So a person who moves their bowels less often than once a day, but does not have any discomfort, straining, or other symptoms, is normal." Vincent Ho, Gastroenterologist – No "Studies in the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1846921/pdf/brmedj02601-0041.pdf" target="_blank">UK</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20205503" target="_blank">Sweden</a> found almost all patients had a frequency of bowel motions between three times per week and three times per day. So this is thought to be the normal range for how often you should go to the toilet. Experiencing temporary changes in bowel frequency or consistency is normal. Many non-disease factors are known to affect the frequency of bowel motions including fluid intake, physical activity, diet, age and social factors such as embarrassment in going to the toilet at work." Written by Alexandra Hansen. Republished by permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-asked-five-experts-do-we-have-to-poo-every-day-98701">The Conversation</a>.

Body

Hilarious sign in park calls out dog owners not picking up dog poo

All dog owners are aware that one of the few downsides of owning a dog is picking up their poo. However, some dog owners are not so vigilant about this duty – which leaves other members of the public very annoyed. In the small town of Dullingham in Cambridgeshire, England, the problem was getting out of hand at the local dog park. To combat the nasty habit of people not picking up their dog’s poo, one person made a hilarious sign to bring awareness to the issue. The poster reads, “Want to start YOGA? Start by bending over and picking up your dog poo — known as the “downward dog position” — THEN PUT IT IN A BIN.” <img width="500" height="769" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7267610/1_500x769.jpg" alt="1 (85)"/> Local resident Julie Murden was walking in the park when she came across the funny sign, took a picture on her phone and uploaded it to the Dullingham Village Community Group’s Facebook page. "This funny notice has appeared on one of our footpaths. Hoping to see more dog walkers in the downward dog position soon!” she wrote. Julie told the BBC the footpath is generally used by children who attend the local primary school. “I spotted it and thought it was really humorous with a serious message,” Julie <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-42834994" target="_blank">told the BBC</a>. “It is not nice treading in poo. “What is even worse is some people bag up the poo and then leave it or throw the bag into the hedge.” Julie’s post has been shared more than 104,000 times and received 5,300 likes. “I was quite surprised it had so many shares and has apparently reached Dubai and Italy,” Ms Murden said.

News

Why it's harder to poo on holidays

There are some things that we are all comfortable talking about, including the weather and house prices. But then there are other topics that can feel off limits, such as, “Why do I get constipated when I go on holidays?” But fear not, because GP Dr Ginni Mansberg is happy to answer any of these tricky questions. Speaking to <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/2018/01/18/15/39/why-do-i-get-constipated-on-holidays">9Honey</a>’s Shelly Horton, Dr Mansberg explained that there are four main reasons that we tend to get backed up on holidays. <ol> <li>“We all get really dehydrated when we’re travelling,” Dr Mansberg begins. “Particularly on a long-haul flight ... because, let’s face it, plane toilets are revolting. Who wants to go to one? So, you tend not to drink too much, and then you get constipated.” Be sure to keep your water intake up, and take it easy on alcohol as it actually dehydrates you.</li> <li>“Your plane food sucks. Basically, it’s revolting. You eat all the crappy deserts that you would never ever have at any other time. You could actually take some high fibre foods with you. Things like dried fruit, nuts, a carrot or mandarin,” advises Dr Mansberg.</li> <li>“You’re sitting like a couch potato. You’re stuck in that little chair for so long. If you’re not moving, your bowels are not moving either,” she explains. Take regular strolls around the plane, and do a few gentle exercises or yoga poses to keep your body moving.</li> <li>“For the vast majority of us, we have a psychological aversion to toilets, particularly on planes but also elsewhere. Once you stop pooping, you kind of get on a roll. All of us have got to get over our toilet phobia,” Dr Mansberg adds.</li> </ol> However, if you do all the right things but you know you still might get constipated, Dr Mansberg recommends you come armed with a stool softener to use rather than a laxative. Laxatives, she says, are “sort of chemical irritants for the bowel, and they tend to get you into a vicious cycle”. A stool softener, on the other hand, is gentler on your digestive system. Have you got any plane food horror stories? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

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We asked 5 experts: Do we have to poo every day?

Hilarious sign in park calls out dog owners not picking up dog poo

Why it's harder to poo on holidays

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