Should Poop Float or Sink?

Forget checking your Oura ring data. If you really want insight into your health, you should check out your poop. Even if you don’t go to the lengths of mailing your excrement to a team of scientists to dig through, looking before you flush will give you important clues about your body.

Poop frequency, color, size, and yes, buoyancy, can all be indicators of what kind of shape your gut health is in, and as you may know, gut health impacts everything, including immunity and brain health. Since most people don’t have a G.I. doc in their contacts they can call to talk about their floaters, we spoke to experts and did the shit talking for you.

Does healthy poop float or sink?

Gastroenterologist Joseph Salhab, DO, says that a healthy poop can float or sink, but it usually sinks. “Sinking stool generally means things are working as they should. It indicates normal fat absorption, good digestive function, and appropriate water content. It’s what I’d expect to see in someone with a well-functioning GI tract,” he says. But Dr. Salhab emphasizes that just because your poop sinks doesn’t mean that you’re in perfect health; it’s more of a sign that your intestines are absorbing nutrients properly.

It also doesn’t mean that if your poop floats that there’s automatically something wrong with your health. Paul Feuerstadt, MD, FACG, a gastroenterologist and associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, says that floating poop is typically the result of gas. Dr. Salhab adds that “sometimes the float or sink situation mostly comes down to gas content. If there’s more gas trapped in your stool—which can happen from something as simple as eating more fiber or swallowing air—it’s going to be more buoyant.”

While a one-off floater isn’t something to worry about, persistent floating deserves more attention. Gastroenterologist Sabine Hazan, MD, says that this could be a sign that fats or nutrients aren’t being absorbed well, especially if the stool is greasy, foul-smelling, or pale. When the body isn’t absorbing nutrients well from the food you eat, she says it could be a sign of an underlying issue, such as a gastrointestinal bug. Dr. Salhab says that malabsorption can happen with conditions affecting the pancreas or gallbladder too.

“Consistently floating with other symptoms like weight loss, abdominal pain, and changes in stool appearance are ways your body is telling you that something’s not right with digestion or absorption,” he says. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, consider it a sign to make an appointment with your healthcare provider or a G.I. doc.

If there is blood in your stool, you have severe stomach pain, your stools are pencil-thin, pale or clay-colored, or your poop frequency has majorly changed, Dr. Hazan says these are all signs to see a doctor as soon as you can.

Can floating poop be a sign of a food intolerance or digestive disorder?

If floating poop is the norm for you, all three doctors say that it could be a symptom of Celiac disease. “Celiac disease damages the small intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients, including fats, so floating, greasy stools are definitely part of the picture,” Dr. Salhab says. The same is true, Dr. Hazen says, of a lactose sensitivity or intolerance.

But Dr. Salhab adds that it’s rarely the only symptom of Celiac disease. Other hallmark signs to look out for are pale, foul-smelling stools that are difficult to flush. “They stick to the bowl because of the fat content,” Dr. Salhab says. He adds that chronic diarrhea is another symptom of Celiac. If these are symptoms you’re dealing with, he recommends cutting out gluten for a couple of weeks to see if it makes a difference. In terms of a lactose sensitivity or intolerance, other symptoms include experiencing gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, and stomach pain after eating dairy.