Dr Li Yan Good Gut Health Interview

Men Spend Twice as Long in the Bathroom than Women

With the demands of the modern day women it's little wonder why new findings indicate that women waste no time in the bathroom - compared to men who are displaying the 'engaged' sign for 35% longer.

Metamucil supports good gut health and is a really easy and natural way to increase your fibre intake.

Interview with Dr Li Yan, Digestive Health Expert

Question: How can we maintain good gut health?

Dr Li Yan: Many aspects of modern living such as diet, exercise, travel and medications can all affect gut health. An important way to support a healthy gut is to ensure you get enough dietary fibre on a daily basis. Fibre is a significant part of a healthy balanced diet and contributes to digestive health.

In addition to this, ensuring you get high quality sleep each night is important for gut health as what happens in your gut can actually affect how you sleep and vice-versa. Limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake is also important as both of these things can also change the microbial environment in the digestive tract which in turn impacts gut health.


Question: What are the signs and symptoms associated with good gut health?

Dr Li Yan: Your gut is important for food digestion, absorption and waste excretion. One of the key signs of a healthy gut is regular bowel movements. It's important to pay attention to some key signs including how often you go, and the colour and consistency. A normal bowel movement should be easy to pass and can be sausage shaped, smooth and soft or with some cracks on the surface, or can be soft blobs with clear-cut edges. In addition to this, energy levels, sleep patterns and overall mood and wellbeing are all indicators of what's happening inside your gut. It's important to let your healthcare professional know about any concerns so they can determine what the cause might be and suggest the right course of action, whether that's a fibre supplement or lifestyle change.


Question: Why do you think men spend longer time in the bathroom as compared to women?

Dr Li Yan: Constipation is a common medical complaint in Australia and other developed countries. It is a common complaint in adults. Taking longer in the bathroom due to constipation, which can cause you to strain or take longer than usual. Consuming adequate dietary fibre every day can help to ensure your toilet trips are a relatively brief and easy process.


Question: How often and for how long should we be going to the bathroom?

Dr Li Yan: There's no hard and fast rule when it comes to regularity. Everyone's bowels are unique to them. A normal bowel movement can range from one to three times a day, to three times a week and be easy to pass without straining. The key thing is to be aware of any dramatic changes, either in appearance, or feeling. Be aware and don't be afraid to talk to your healthcare professional about how your bowel movements have changed.


Question: How can we increase the fibre in our diet?

Dr Li Yan: The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends we eat 25-30g of dietary fibre per day, however, most of us don't get enough. A fibre supplement like Metamucil is an easy way to increase your daily fibre intake. Psyllium fibre in Metamucil helps keeps you regular and support good gut health by trapping and gently pushing waste through the digestive system.