Tracking Digestion’s Clock: The Significance of Bowel Transit Time

It may not be something you’ve ever paid much attention to, but the amount of time it takes for your stool to pass through your digestive tract and come out the exit hatch is important. Proper elimination of your waste is equally as important as proper digestion.

A bowel transit time test is a simple and easy way to track how long it takes for your stool to pass through your digestive tract and be eliminated from your body.

What the Bowel Transit Time Test Can Tell You

If your transit time is less than 18 hours, it may point to food moving too rapidly through your digestive tract for nutrients to be properly absorbed. If your transit time is more than 24-48 hours or if you don’t have bowel movements daily, it can point to toxic buildup and/or constipation.

How to Perform It

1. Choose from a tablespoon of sesame seeds, 4 charcoal capsules, a couple of large beets, or about 8 ounces of corn. If you use beets, be forewarned that your stool will be red. Side note with permission from my husband: he once had beet juice, forgot that he had drunk it, and about passed out when he later found very red stool in the toilet. The relief he felt when he realized it was the food he had eaten!
2. Do not thoroughly chew the food that you chose for this test. Make sure to swallow it with water. If using charcoal capsules, take them with water.
3. Record the date and time you ate the selected food.
4. Keep watch for this food in your stool. I know that sounds gross, but there is a good purpose here!
5. Record the first time you see it in your stool, as well as the last time you see it. The time between when you ate the food and the last time you saw it in your stool is your transit time.

If your food is passing too slowly through the digestive tract, check out my blog from last week on constipation for some tips to support more regular bowel movements. If food is passing too quickly through your digestive tract, adding in some probiotic foods like yogurt or kefir (if tolerated), as well as chicken stock, bone broth and collagen are very nourishing to the gut lining. Also cooking your veggies well, chewing your food thoroughly, keeping well hydrated and managing stress levels are all very supportive.

I would recommend doing the bowel transit time test more than once to get your average time. Your transit time can vary due to menstrual cycles, exercise, medication changes, and food intake.

The bowel transit time test is an easy and insightful tool to use to monitor your gut health. By keeping an eye on your transit time and making adjustments, you’re taking proactive steps towards a healthier gut and overall well-being.