How to do a gut transit time test using beetroot?

Beetroots

The transit time test is a great way to evaluate how quickly or slowly your gut is moving along the foods you are eating your digestive tract. It is a very simple yet valuable test to carry out at home to gain insights about the effectiveness of your gut motility. If you suffer from a sluggish digestion such as constipation, feeling full for long, flatulence or bloating this may be a good place to start to gain insights to your wonderous world called the gut!

The idea behind the transit time is to measure how long it takes your gut to move, process or digest the foods you are eating. The test is done by measuring the time between when you ate the beetroot to the time it first appears in your stool and when you last see it! So lots of fishing in the pan here!

In a normally functioning gut it would take anything from 12 hours to 24 hours for the beetroot to re-appear in the stool. You will recognise the beetroot from the colour of your stool it usually turns dark purple.

You will need some beetroot usually cooked the size of your fist or about 3/4 cup worth. Now eat your beetroot and write down the time as a reference point. Be mindful and keep a watchful eye out for when you see it in your stool next and then jot down the time again. Keep looking out for the beetroot next time you open your bowels to see if any more comes out.

Calculate the time it took from when you ate the beetroot to when it next re-appeared. This is called your transit time. If you move the beetroot out within 24 hours your digestion is in tip top condition.

Anything less than 12 hours and you are moving your bowels too quick to absorb the nutrients in your foods. Above 24 or 48 hours and your bowels are sluggish and you have a tendency to constipation which may develop further down the line into more serious digestive problems such as hemorrhoids or diverticulitis.

If you are experiencing problems with your digestion please get in touch so I can help you improve on your gut health!

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I want to do the colon transit time test but I don't like beetroots. What can I use instead?

If you don't like beetroots you can do the stool transit test with sweetcorn instead. Just consume 1/2 - 3/4 cup sweetcorn kernels and follow the process above. Or you can use black quinoa and go through the same process. As quinoa has thick indigestible skin it will come out with the bowel movement as it went in. You will see black quinoa in your stool however you may need to look for it more carefully as they are very small.

Here is a video about the beetroot transit test

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I did the gut transit time test now I want to improve on my digestion. What can I do?

• Eat more vegetables and fruit 7-10 servings a day

• Aim for 30 gr of fibre per day

• Drink water

• Incorporate fermented foods into your diet

• Move, minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity a week

• De-Stress

• To improve on gut motility consume ginger and artichoke leaf (very bitter) or use a supplement

If you want to dig deeper to gain information about your gut health why not order a functional stool test with me so we can evaluate your gut function more effectively and help you improve on your overall health.

If you would like more help get in touch with me for a consultation or your no obligation free gut discovery call! Contact