What is Bowel Transit Time?
by Juanita Watson, all rights reserved.
Transit time, also known as bowel transit time, is simply the time it takes for the food you eat to pass through the entire digestive tract, from the moment it is swallowed, to the point it leaves in a bowel movement. Since healthy functioning of our digestive system and its related organs are critical to optimal health, testing transit time is a simple and effective way to detect potential imbalances that may lead to future symptoms and disease. Simply stated, the frequency of your bowel movements is a clear indication of your overall health.
There are many opinions regarding “what is normal transit time?” Some health advocates believe that for every meal you eat, a bowel movement should follow. Others feel that one bowel movement every few days is adequate. In reality, bowel movements depend on many factors including the food that was eaten, the amount of fiber in the food, the type and amount of liquids consumed, exercise/activity output, stress levels, and the general health and integrity of the entire gastrointestinal tract.
Generally, in a well functioning system, bowel transit time should be approximately 12-24 hours. A transit time of less than 12 hours may indicate that food is travelling too quickly through the digestive system preventing proper nutrient absorption. This will eventually lead to deficiency symptoms as the body is not getting the building blocks it needs for proper cell functions. Not only will the body become malnourished, but it will begin robbing its own tissues and bones of the nutrients needed for critical functions like maintaining ph and brain/cardiac functions.
A transit time longer than 24 hours indicates that food is moving through the digestive system too slowly, and wastes are sitting in the colon for too long. This leads to additional fermentation and putrefaction of the contents resulting in an overload of harmful bacteria and wastes being produced in the gut. Not only will this produce dangerous inflammation of the inner mucosal lining of the colon, but it also causes harmful reabsorption of toxins, hormones and other waste material back into the bloodstream. Many health practitioners believe that prolonged transit time greatly increases the risk of colon cancer, as well as other degenerative diseases.
Testing bowel transit time is very simple to do. It will require a marker (an edible substance that will be visible in the stool when it passes), a Diet/Activity/Stress Record to document your results, and 2+ days to actually do the test. Keep in mind when selecting a marker, if stools are typically light colored use a dark marker such as 1 gram of activated charcoal tablets, 2-3 beets, or 2 tablespoons liquid chlorophyll. If stools are typically dark, use a few tablespoons of corn or sesame seeds.
Proceed with the following steps:
1) After the first bowel movement of the day, ingest the marker.
2) Record the time the marker was ingested.
3) Record diet/activity/stress factors on the record.
4) Observe the next bowel movements and record the time the marker is first noticed.
5) Calculate transit time.
6) Ingest marker again, 4 hours after first indication of marker is found in the stool. Repeat the test, and record diet/activity/stress factors.
7) Calculate second transit time.
8) Ingest marker for the third time, approx 2-4 hours after the second marker is found in stool. Repeat the test.
9) Calculate third transit time.
10) If the third marker DID NOT show up in less time than lowest previous transit times, consider the lower of the first two transit times to be your personal time. If it WAS lower than the first two, then this indeed is your personal bowel transit time.
As mentioned, transit time can change depending on many factors. If an individual’s time is found to be outside the optimal 12-24 hour range, it would be advised to create diet and lifestyle changes that would improve sluggish transit time. Suggestions may be to add more fiber-rich/hydrating foods to the diet such as fruits and vegetables, drink more water, and eliminate dehydrating substances such as overcooked meats, dairy, refined foods, alcohol, sodas and coffee. Transit times less than 12 hours may indicate that the individual is not eating enough grounding/solid foods, so the addition of whole grains and animal protein may be indicated. Consistent moderate exercise (at least 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week) is critical to optimal digestive health in both sluggish and overactive transit times, as well as reducing stress factors and one responds to the stress in their life.
Overall, it would be useful to repeat the bowel transit time test every 1-3 months. Aside from being a proactive tool in detecting potential health risks, getting acquainted with our digestive process is educational, empowering, and undoubtedly will assist you in making better choices with your health.