Here are a few things we can learn from stool tests.

Grey “clay-colored” stools indicate a blocked bile duct

Dark black stools usually indicate bleeding (iron tabs and greens can do this too)

Tiny amounts of blood may indicate inflammation, ulcer or cancer

The presence of white cells indicates colitis

Culture may show infection with disease-causing organisms

Special tests may show food malabsorption due to certain diseases

The future for stool tests is bright. Stool DNA tests to are already helping to detect cancer and polyps but their sensitivity and accuracy still need improvement. More significantly, a major part of our resident bacteria (microbiome) lives in the colon. Each person’s microbiome is unique. Recent studies suggest that the microbiome may have a role in mood, weight gain & loss, cardiovascular disease, immune system development and inflammatory bowel disease. Many diseases such as schizophrenia are associated with an altered microbiome, but we don’t yet know if the alteration causes or is due to the disease. Probiotics are thought to work by affecting the microbiome.

Connie’s comments

Constipation is a major health issues of seniors who are taking more than 3 kinds of medications per day. Constipation also aggravates their current health issues: anxiety, AD, PD and others