How often should you go #2? According to the NHS, most adults can go anywhere from a few times a day to once a day, or every 3 or 4 days. But it's important to go when you need to and not hold it in.
Gastroenterologist, Professor Martin Veysey shared with The Conversation:
"Getting into the habit of putting it off means the residue from the food you eat stays in your body longer than it should. Your transit time lengthens, and your quality of life deteriorates.
"On average, we produce about six tonnes of poo in our lifetimes, composed of water, bacteria, nitrogenous matter, carbohydrates, undigested plant matter and lipids (fats).
"The longer this mix of stuff sits inside us, the more it is prone to fermentation and decomposition. This produces not just wind but also chemicals known as metabolites, which then sit in contact with the bowel lining and can be absorbed."
Longer transit time has been linked to bowel cancer, gallstones, colon polyps and even hemorrhoids.
If you want to figure out how long is your "transit time" is, Professor Veysey says you can figure it out by... eating corn and seeing how long it takes to show up. He says it should be between 8 & 24 hours.
To improve your bowel health, increase your intake of fiber and fluids, exercise and go when you need to go.