Defecation is a normal behavior of the body and takes place almost every day. But do we understand these waste products that our bodies excrete? There are 5 common misconceptions people have about stool. Misconception #1: Daily bowel movements are normal and best. Gastroenterologists believe that it is normal for people to have a bowel movement from 3 times a day to 3 times a week if the stool is not too loose or too hard. In other words, regular bowel movements do not mean that you should have a bowel movement every day, but rather that you maintain a consistent habit from the beginning to the end. Only when there is a sudden change in the frequency of bowel movements should attention be drawn to it. Misconception 2: Stool should smell bad. The smell of stool is not good, but it should not smell putrid either. If the stool smells extremely bad, it may be a sign of an infection that, if left unchecked, may progress to segmental enteritis, celiac disease, or ulcerative colitis. Giardia lamblia (a parasitic infection) is responsible for making stools smell worse. If this happens frequently during bowel movements, you need to see a doctor. In addition, it is normal and healthy for people to pass gas throughout the day because it is a natural byproduct produced by intestinal bacteria as they digest food. However, as with stool, the persistent foul odor of farts can be a sign of some serious illness. Myth #3: The colon needs a good flush. In the long run, colon cleansing is bad for your health; it flushes out the bad bacteria while also flushing out the good bacteria, and worse, there aren’t many bad bacteria in the colon. There are nearly 1,000 species of bacteria that live in the colon and help with the final stages of digestion, which include absorbing water, allowing dietary fiber to be fermented and absorbing vitamins, especially vitamin K, vitamin B1 and B2. During the colon cleansing process, these beneficial bacteria and electrolytes are flushed out at the same time. Furthermore, common side effects of colon cleansing include dehydration, rectal perforation, air embolism, bloodstream infection and loss of ability to control the intestinal muscles. Myth #4: Taking more time to defecate is good for your health. Sitting on the toilet for long periods of time to have a bowel movement is not a good habit. First, sitting on the toilet for too long is prone to hemorrhoids, which can cause anal relaxation, followed by repeated stimulation of the tissues around the rectum that help control bowel movements, resulting in the formation of an “anal pad”; it can lead to hemorrhoids or inflammation of the veins in this area. Several studies have also found that people with hemorrhoids are more likely to stay on the toilet for long periods of time. Second, it’s dirty. Numerous studies have shown that reading materials or using smartphones while toileting can lead to contamination with fecal bacteria. Myth #5: More bowel movements and more weight loss. This belief seems to be consistent with the laws of physics: more material is excreted from the body, more weight is lost. In fact, this is not true. Many people drink laxatives or “diet tea” in the hope of losing calories through bowel movements. However, calorie absorption occurs mainly in the small intestine, while laxatives target the large intestine or colon.