How Long Poop Stays in Your Body May Impact Your Health, Study Finds

A 2023 review found that how quickly food moves through the gut is strongly linked to gut microbiome composition, diversity, and microbial metabolites.

Faster and slower transit times were associated with distinct microbial profiles, and adding transit time improved prediction beyond diet alone.

The authors suggest gut transit time may be an overlooked marker of gut health, alongside measures like constipation and the Bristol Stool Scale.

That could help explain and potentially treat microbiome-linked metabolic, inflammatory, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, IBS, and liver cirrhosis.