Is green poo normal? 💚

This week, Im handing over to Heights Head of Nutritional Research, Sophie Medlin, to teach you all about poo. Shes a consultant dietitian and Head of the British Dietetic Association of London, so if anyones qualified, she is. Over to you, Sophie

What colour should my poo be?

You wont believe how often I get asked this. Short answera mid-brown, like a conker. The colour comes from a chemical called stercobilin, which has two main sources. Bilethe chemical secreted in your intestines that helps to digest fatand haemoglobin from broken-down red blood cells.

But what if you arent quite at that perfect mid-brown? What do different colours mean?

Pale yellow? This is often a sign you might not be digesting everything in your diet efficiently. Something to bring up with a doctor if it persists.

Very dark? Usually a sign that youre getting a lot of iron, if youve started a new supplement, say. However, in rare cases, it could be a sign of bleeding somewhere in the digestive tract, so youll definitely want to talk to your doctor.

Green? Its alarming at the time, but this is usually just a side effect of food poisoning or a stomach bug. It can also be caused by eating blue food dyedont be too alarmed!

So there I was. Sitting on the toilet, trousers down (pants on, dont worry) reading customer reviews, while my colleague Hayley took videos of me for social media. It was in that moment I realised two things.

1. This isnt really where I expected my career to take me.
2. Ill do literally anything for our mission, shame is temporary, passion is forever.

Reading reviews on the toilet is one of those things in my head where the only person who wants to experience this less than me is the person watching itbut shock factor, sense of humour and most importantly something we deeply care about. Challenging taboosthats all very Heights.

In that way weve always been quite an apologetically weird brand. Serious science. Conscious messages. Not taking ourselves too seriously.

So, I guess this is my way of personally apologising to you that if, the next time youre scrolling on social, you see Dan on the toilet, at least do us a favour and leave a like/comment and enjoy some of the brilliant reviews weve received (hundreds of 5* poosand proud).

With love and plops

Dan