Hello everyone~ I am looking for a research article, or excerpt from one, that discusses the relationship between a diet high in fiber and the fact that feces float. Anyone know where I can find one???
RN~in~CT 160 Posts Dec 13, 2003 If I recall, stool that floats is high in fat ~ known as steatorrhea.
LydiaGreen 358 Posts Dec 13, 2003 Really? One of my classmates is a healthfood and herbal remedy nut and insists that if your stool doesn't float you aren't healthy and that if your stool sinks you are very unhealthy!
Gigglesforall, BSN, RN 117 Posts Specializes in ICU. Dec 13, 2003 I know with steatorrhea the stool may float, but the main characteristics are bulkiness and foul smelling. I ran across research that stated you know you have enough fiber in your diet if it floats, but I am just unable to actually come up with real documentation.
maire, ASN, RN 1,173 Posts Specializes in Adult Med-Surg, Rehab, and Ambulatory Care. Has 18 years experience. Dec 13, 2003 Only in a nursing forum...:chuckle
RN~in~CT 160 Posts Dec 13, 2003 "A floating stool and easy passage indicates that your diet has enough fiber"interesting....got the above from the following article:http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_15_2_5.htm
NurseDixie 419 Posts Dec 13, 2003 That's right, if your stool floats, you are eating a sufficient amount of fiber in your diet. Steatorrhea means that there is a lot of fat, sometimes you can see the oil floating on the surface of the water in the toilet and it stinks really bad.:imbar
road runner2003 147 Posts Dec 13, 2003 I never would have guessed it - a floating stool indicated healthiness or enough fibre consumed in ones diet. Actually the only thing I knew about floating stools and recall reading some time ago - there is a connection between floating stools and CF. I know there is more to it.
Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN 12,126 Posts Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER. Dec 13, 2003 My boyfriend got a laughing charge out of this thread "I can honestly say this is not a subject that anyone in my career has discussed".(He's a engineer for a medical wiring manufacturer)But i would assume that if feces are floating, maybe gas is trapped inside?
BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN 934 Posts Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc.. Has 13 years experience. Dec 13, 2003 Originally posted by maire Only in a nursing forum...:chuckle Amen to that!!:roll :roll :chuckle :roll :roll
Gigglesforall, BSN, RN 117 Posts Specializes in ICU. Dec 14, 2003 Hey thanks for the comments everyone. That article was just what I needed. Sorry for the unpolitically correct topic!! Hope your feces are floating!!! :roll
mother/babyRN, RN 11 Articles; 1,587 Posts Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN. Has 27 years experience. Dec 14, 2003 Generally someone who is very healthy with a high fiber diet and less the preservatives does have floating stool and not so smelly stuff sans flatus....Health stores have books on it and many high fiber related books give you bibliographies on where they compiled their material (no pun intended)....
