Is Your Poop Normal?

Composition Of Stool

Stool is composed of approximately seventy-five percent water and twenty-five percent solids. It contains bile (the fluid that the liver makes to digest fats), mucus, protein, fats, salts, fiber, and the linings of various cells. Stools also contain cholesterol and dead bacteria. In fact, studies show just one gram of healthy fecal matter has 100 billion bacteria along with 100 million viruses and archaea. Additionally, healthy stools have around ten million colonocytes (epithelial cells that protect the colon) and at least one million unicellular fungi, including yeast. Stool composition will vary depending on diet, medication, and overall health. Patients could sometimes notice bits of undigested food in their stools, and visible mucus may be present occasionally.