What floating poop could tell you about your health — from diet to diseases, according to gastroenterologists

• Floating poop is most often caused by eating more fiber than usual.
• High-fiber foods include whole grains, vegetables like carrots, and certain greens.

Your poop is an important indicator of your health, and the occasional floater isn't a cause for concern.

But if you notice that your poop is floating all the time, it could be a sign of a serious condition.

What does it mean when your poop floats?

Your poop is made up of many different materials, including undigested food, fats, water, dead cells, and bacteria.

Normally, your poop will sink because it is denser than water, says Moe Schlachter, a registered dietician and president of Houston Family Nutrition.

Conversely, your poop will float when it's less dense than water and this happens for one main reason: Your stool is high in gas, most likely from eating fiber.

This is not a cause for concern — in fact, fiber has many health benefits, including boosting heart health and regulating blood sugar.

But poop that floats consistently can also indicate that your stool is high in fat, which could be a symptom of serious conditions.

Here are some of the main reasons why your poop might be high in either gas or fat.

Floating stools that are high in gas

If you have excess intestinal gas, you may pass gas while pooping, or there may be gas trapped inside your stool, causing it to float. Here's why:

• Eating more fiber than usual: The bacteria in your large intestine produce gas when they break down the fiber in foods, leading to floating poop. Some high-fiber foods include most whole grains, berries, granola, almonds, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts, chia seeds, okra, and more.
• Infections: Some gastrointestinal infections like giardiasis and E. Coli can cause an overgrowth of gut bacteria that produce gas.
• Food intolerance: If you have a sensitivity to gluten or lactose, these foods can create extra gas in your digestive tract. Keeping a food diary can help you identify if food intolerance is causing your gas.
• Irritable bowel syndrome: "Someone with irritable bowel syndrome could experience floating poops as well," as this condition can also trigger intestinal gas, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietician nutritionist in private practice.

Floating stools that are high in fat

If you think fat is the culprit, you can look out for common signs like:

• Oil floating on the surface of the toilet water
• Unusual stool colors such as pale yellow, white or gray
• An especially strong or foul odor

There are several key reasons why your stool might have more fat than usual:

1. Fat malabsorption: "Conditions causing fat malabsorption might cause stool to float," says Dr. Daniel Freedberg, a gastroenterologist and professor at Columbia University.

These conditions can include:

• Pancreatic diseases, like pancreatitis
• Intestinal diseases such as celiac disease
• A previous bowel surgery that shortened the intestines
• Infections like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

2. Digestive deficiencies: Fatty stool can also be caused by an enzyme deficiency or a bile deficiency, as bile and digestive enzymes are both needed to properly digest fats, Schlachter says.

If you see bright red blood in your stool or you consistently have a fatty stool, you should call your doctor right away, Schlachter says.

What do healthy bowel movements look like?

A healthy bowel movement should sink, but it should also have a particular shape.

According to Schlachter, healthy stool should:

• Be well formed, meaning it has a solid shape
• Pass easily, without straining
• Transition in a short time — meaning you don't spend more than five minutes on the toilet

However, your poop shouldn't be too solid — "small, ball-like stools are assumed to indicate constipation and sausage or snake-like stools are considered normal," Freedberg says.

"The Bristol Stool Scale is the most common measure used to evaluate the form of stool," Freedberg says.

If your poop doesn't look like the healthy bowel movement category (in green), it may be best to see a gastroenterologist.

Insider's takeaway

Your poop may change day to day, depending on what you eat and your digestive health.

"Most of these changes are normal and related to diet and transit time of food through the gut," Freedberg says.

In general, your poop should sink, and floating poop may be a sign of a digestive problem like an infection, too much fat or fiber in your diet, or a chronic disease like irritable bowel syndrome.

A single floating poop isn't a reason to worry, but "seek a consult with your physician if you notice blood, constipation or diarrhea that won't quit or fat in your stool consistently," Schlachter says.