David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong

14 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this short dialogue, the speakers address a common misconception about bowel health: the belief that everyone must have exactly one bowel movement per day. Speaker B explains that each morning the body naturally initiates strong colonic contractions—a gastrocolic reflex—that can facilitate a bowel movement, but this is not the only or optimal pattern for everyone. The discussion emphasizes that meeting daily fiber goals often leads to more frequent defecation, indicating that multiple daily movements can be normal and healthy. The overall message is to dispel the “once‑a‑day” myth and encourage individuals to focus on dietary fiber and their body’s natural rhythms rather than adhering to a rigid schedule.

So what is the one biggest myth as it relates to, to bowel movements?
People should have one bowel movement a day. Like truly, that is the biggest myth. Every morning, a lot of factors come together that are optimized for a good bowel movement. It wakes up and naturally produces very strong contractions that you very rarely are gonna get the rest of your day. But that doesn't mean that that's the only way to live and that's the best way to live. Once you start meeting your fiber goals, you're gonna poop more than once a day.