Bristol Stool Chart: Understanding the Different Types of Poop

A healthy body needs a healthy gut. One good way to figure out if your gut is healthy is to look at your poop. Many things can change the appearance, texture, and color of your stool. For example, diet is a common influence.

Have you ever wondered whether your stools looked normal or not? The Bristol Stool Chart is a useful tool that can help you figure that out. It can even let you know when it’s time to see a healthcare professional.

What is the Bristol Stool Chart?

The Bristol Stool Chart is a tool that helps people understand and describe different types of poop. It includes pictures and descriptions of seven different types of poop, ranging from watery and loose to hard and lumpy. As you can imagine, “normal” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone, so having a chart helps keep everyone on the same page.

By looking at this handy poop chart, you can get an idea of what might be normal or not. It can also help you communicate with a healthcare professional in a clear way. And it’s a great tool to help you track changes or patterns in your bowel habits over time.

How to use the Bristol Stool Chart

You can start by comparing the way your stool looks to the seven different types on the Bristol Stool Chart:

• Type 1: separate, pellet-like hard lumps that are hard to pass

• Type 2: lumpy, sausage-shaped stool

• Type 3: sausage-shaped stool with cracks on the surface

• Type 4: sausage-shaped stool but smooth and soft (like a snake)

• Type 5: blobs that are soft and pass easily

• Type 6: mushy stool in the form of fluffy pieces and ragged edges

• Type 7: entirely liquid; no solid pieces

Then choose which number matches your stool:

• If your stool is similar to types 1 or 2, you may have constipation.

• Type 3 and 4 stools are healthy stool types. These are soft and easy to pass. 

• Stool types 5, 6, and 7 may mean that you have diarrhea.

Once you’ve figured out your stool type, you may be able to make certain dietary changes to achieve the normal types (3 or 4). For example, if you have a lack of fiber in your diet that’s causing constipation, eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may help. Or you may consider taking a fiber supplement. 

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• How much poop is too much? Find out how often you should poop and what factors play a role in the frequency.

• Is your poop green? Here are some reasons that could happen (and not all of them are food).

• Having diarrhea can change how your medicines work. Learn about how diarrhea can affect how your medications are absorbed.

Keep in mind that everyone’s bowel habits are different. And stools can be different once in a while. But if you notice that your stools are too hard or too loose on a regular basis, let a healthcare professional know. They can help you figure out what’s causing different types of stool to form and how to treat the issue.

Who should use the Bristol Stool Chart?

The Bristol Stool Chart can be used by anyone who wants to keep track of their bowel movements. This can be especially helpful for people with conditions that affect the digestive system, including:

• Irritable bowel syndrome 

• Ulcerative colitis

• Crohn’s disease

• Constipation

• Fecal incontinence

• Lactose intolerance

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The Bristol Stool Chart isn’t used to diagnose any health conditions on its own. However, healthcare professionals often use it to understand symptoms. It can also be a great way to check if your symptoms are getting better or worse.

What does the color of your poop mean?

Any variation of brown to green is considered normal, but it can change based on what you eat or what medications you’re taking. Here are some reasons why you may notice that your poop has a different color.

Black stools

This color change can be caused by certain foods like black licorice or blueberries. You may also notice your stools are black if you take medications such as iron pills, charcoal, or medications that contain bismuth salicylate (Pepto-Bismol). 

Although the above causes aren’t concerning, black stools can also indicate that there’s bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (usually higher). Bleeding can be the result of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, or even cancer. If you’re unsure of the cause of your black stools, talk to a healthcare professional.

Red stools

Generally speaking, your stools won’t turn red. But this can happen sometimes with certain food dyes or medications. If your stools are mixed with blood, it can also appear as if your stools are red. 

Bright red blood (hematochezia) mixed with your stools is usually caused by a medical condition. Several conditions that can cause bloody stools include:

• Hemorrhoids

• Anal fissure

• Colorectal cancer

Gray or pale stools

This change in stool color is far less common, but it’s just as important. If you notice that your stools are gray or pale, this can mean that there’s low-to-no bile or bilirubin in your stool. 

Bile is a type of digestive enzyme that gives stool the normal brown or green color. If there’s a blockage in your biliary system, this could change the color of your stool. 

If you have pale or gray stool, you need to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible.

Orange stools

Orange poop is usually not a cause for alarm. The most common reason for orange poop is too much beta-carotene, either from supplements or vegetables. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body. If you take in large amounts of beta-carotene, the excess is eliminated in the stool. 

Another, more worrisome, reason you might have orange poop is bile acid diarrhea. This can be caused by liver or gall bladder dysfunction. If you have orange poop for more than a few days, or if you have other symptoms, you should see a healthcare professional.

How to know if your bowel movements are healthy

Bowel movements can be a good indicator of your health. So, what does healthy poop look like? For most people, a healthy bowel movement is brown and has a soft, sausage-like shape. It should also be easy to pass, so you don’t have to push too hard. 

Frequency and regularity of bowel movements

When it comes to a healthy frequency, there’s a big range. For example, it’s normal to:

• Poop once a day

• Poop 2 or 3 times a day 

• Poop only a few times every week

In other words, there’s no right or wrong number of times to go to the bathroom. What really matters is that your poop is well-formed and easy to pass — and that you’re not having to rush to the bathroom. 

Some types of bowel habits and poops can point to a health problem, like black-colored poop or sudden diarrhea. 

Floating or sinking

Healthy poop usually sinks because stool is denser than water. Floating stool can be a sign of too much gas or fat that isn’t being absorbed properly (steatorrhea). If you notice changes that don’t go away after a day or two, check in with a healthcare professional.

Odor

The way stool smells depends on what you eat and the health of your gut microbiome. In general, stool smells like decaying material. Eating broccoli or highly sulfurous foods can lead to a sulfur smell. A metallic smell could mean bleeding in the GI tract. Fishy smells can sometimes be a sign of infection. Any dramatic change in stool odor that lasts more than a few days warrants a visit for a checkup.

What do unhealthy stools look like?

Unhealthy stools can vary greatly in appearance. In general, some unhealthy characteristics to look out for are:

• Very pale, chalky color

• Red, streaks of red, dark, or black color

• Floating stools

• Very hard or watery stools 

• Sticky or pasty stools

• Stool that comes out in small, hard clumps

• Very strong, foul odor

It’s important to notice any significant changes that last for more than a few days and talk to a healthcare professional about it.

Can diet affect the shape and form of stool?

Yes, diet can affect the shape and form of stool. After all, stool is simply what’s left of undigested food, along with water, gut bacteria, and some of your body’s cells. Here are a few common foods and beverages that can affect how stools form.

Water

Normal stool is made up of over 70% water. The colon does a good job of keeping stools hydrated, which makes them easy to pass. When you don’t drink enough water, stool dries up and becomes harder to pass. This is known as constipation — a condition where you can have hard stools and infrequent bowel movements. 

Fiber 

Fiber from food bulks up stool, which stimulates bowel movements. Fiber also draws in water, which softens stool and causes the colon to secrete mucous. This helps push stool along the digestive tract. Without enough fiber, you can have constipation. And for fiber to do its magic, you’ll need to be hydrated.

Caffeine 

Caffeine can stimulate the colon to push stool out like a laxative. But the less time stool sits in the colon, the more water it has. So, if you drink coffee you may notice that you have loose stools. 

Sugar-free foods

Sugar alcohols, like sorbitol or xylitol, are used to sweeten foods and don’t get digested. Instead, they pass through the colon, where they draw water in. This buildup of water can cause diarrhea.

When should you see a healthcare professional about changes in your poop?

You should always see a healthcare professional if you notice any of the changes below:

• A sudden change in bowel habit

• Frequent diarrhea or constipation

• Diarrhea along with fever, nausea, or vomiting

• Diarrhea after eating

• Stool that’s greasy, foul smelling, and difficult to flush

• Pale, gray poop 

• Red or black stools

• Abnormal stools associated with abdominal pain, fatigue, or weight loss

• Blood on tissue paper

• Reduced diameter of stools (skinny stools)

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Written by:

Onikepe Adegbola, MD, PhD

Onikepe Adegbola, MD, PhD, received her PhD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed her medical training at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. She has over 10 years of experience as a pharmaceutical executive, developing drugs for cancer, dementia, and other diseases.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Reviewed by:

Frank Schwalbe, MD

Frank Schwalbe, MD, is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Yale School of Medicine. He has practiced anesthesiology for 30 years.

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