The Common Poop Myth That's Easily Explained By Science

When it comes to the gastrointestinal system and bowel movements, there are a lot of misconceptions out there. Consuming a lot of fiber to relieve constipation is a common poop myth that can actually make constipation worse, while thin stool being a clear sign of colorectal cancer is a poop myth health experts want you to stop believing. Another poop myth that science can put to rest is that holding in poop is bad for your health.

It's bound to happen at some point in your life, if it hasn't already: You get the urge to poop but can't get to a restroom right away because you're standing in a long line or on a road trip with nothing around for miles. Whatever the case, you don't have to worry that holding your bowel movement for a little bit will be detrimental for your health. In fact, gastroenterologist Julie Khlevner told Popular Science, "Occasional stool withholding is not harmful." Patricia Raymond, another gastroenterologist, explained to Prevention, "It's good to have the ability to hold it in until there's a socially acceptable place and time."

Also, Dr. Sameer Islam explains in a YouTube video that "you will not develop toxins in your body [because] there is really nothing pathological about having stool inside your colon." However, he does note that stool build-up can cause severe abdominal pain.

Believe it or not, there are efficient ways to hold in your poop. Clenching your butt cheeks together is a good place to start because it will not only engage the pelvic floor muscles to keep the sphincter closed and rectum tense but also signal to the brain that you're not ready to relax and relieve yourself. On the other hand, you should avoid tightening your abdomen because that muscle tension will have the opposite effect.

Another way to slightly tighten the pelvic floor is to keep your body moving. You can do that by simply shifting your body weight while standing or by adjusting your body while sitting in a car. Most importantly, you should keep these shifts sporadic and small. Dr. Julie Khlevner explains that too frequently making movements that are too large can trigger gastrointestinal peristalsis, which is an involuntary contraction and relaxation of the digestive tract — from the esophagus through the intestines — that aids digestion. As a result, more fecal matter can build up in the rectum, increasing your discomfort and the need to get to a restroom soon.

On top of that, avoiding positions that aid bowel movements can help you efficiently hold back your poop. Positions to avoid include squatting, sitting while bending forward and resting on your knees, and sitting upright. That last one may be difficult to avoid if you're on a road trip, which is why the aforementioned tricks can be so handy, and why standing or lying down are better alternatives.

Like holding in urine is bad for your bladder and overall health when you do it regularly, it's not ideal to get into the habit of holding in poop. That's because of what happens when you withhold stools. As Dr. Islam explains, holding in poop "gives your body the sensation that, hey, if I do feel the need to go, but I don't go, I'm actually not going to use the restroom."

Regularly doing this trains your body to ignore the urge to empty your bowels, which can make you feel gassy and bloated. Eventually, you could develop stomach pain and constipation, which happens because the colon absorbs water from stool while it sits. Constipation that isn't addressed can lead to an impaction or a perforation (hole) in the wall of the digestive tract, which are some of the gross things that can happen if you don't poop for a week.

On top of that, a study published in the Danish Medical Journal found that the buildup of poop in the colon can cause other functional bowel disorders, including pelvic floor dysfunction. This condition makes it even harder to go when you actually try to because the pelvic floor muscles have trouble coordinating and relaxing. There's also the possibility that habitually holding in stool can cause chronic inflammation, which is known to raise the risk of colon cancer.