5 weird signs your gut is healthy, top doctor reveals

Your stomach just let out a sound that echoed through the office. Or perhaps you felt a rumble you cannot quite explain. Your immediate thought? Something’s wrong. You reach for a bottle of antacids or book a doctor’s appointment immediately. Why? Because the gut is supposed to be silent. At least, that’s how we were taught. What if that’s not the case? Dr Joseph Salhab, a board-certified gastroenterologist trained at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, has shared five weird signs of a healthy gut that might surprise you.

Most of us believe that the gut is supposed to be silent. But here’s the truth: it can growl and rumble, sometimes loudly. And there is nothing wrong with it. In fact, it is a great sign that your gut is healthy. “It’s basically your gut’s cleaning cycle. Those sounds happen when waves of contractions move gas, fluid, and leftover food through your intestines between meals. This process, called the migrating motor complex, helps sweep bacteria and debris through the small intestine and eventually to the colon,” Dr Salhab explained in a video shared on Instagram.

Guess what? Farting is normal. It is a crucial sign of your gut health. If you find yourself passing gas a few times a day, that means your gut is just fine. Dr Salhab explains the reason behind flatulence: “Your gut bacteria are extracting antioxidants from your food, fermenting fibre, producing anti-inflammatory compounds, and producing gas as a by-product.” He also emphasised that a healthy individual would pass gas around 10–20 times per day. “It’s often a sign your microbiome is actively doing its job,” he said.

Do you run to the restroom shortly after meals, or perhaps when you are excited? Well, that’s a good sign. “This is the gastrocolic reflex. When your stomach stretches from a meal—or when your body is stimulated by things like excitement—it signals the colon to contract and move stool along. Your body is essentially making room for incoming food,” the doctor explained.

Ever come across a ghost poop? What’s that? The time when you rushed to the toilet, pooped, and found there was almost nothing to wipe? This is a good sign. “Well-formed stool that passes easily and leaves minimal residue is often a sign of good fibre intake, hydration, and balanced gut bacteria,” the doctor said.

How often should you poop? Once a day? What if you find yourself going to the toilet more than once? Well, that’s perfectly normal. “A lot of people think once per day is the rule, but pooping up to about three times per day can be normal. The key is that the stool should be formed and easy to pass. Frequent watery stools or diarrhoea would be abnormal,” the doctor said.

Your body is constantly sending you signals about its health. Sometimes, most of us tend to misread them. Sometimes, even the weird signs can be a hint of a healthy gut. So next time you are gassy or your stomach growls, know that it’s normal.