Myth. Everyone is different. Some people go three times a day; others, three times a week. It’s common to have a bowel movement once a day. But it’s OK to go a few days without one as long as you feel fine. If you have fewer than three per week, you’re constipated. It’s severe if you have fewer than one a week.
Myth. Some people believe that constipation causes the body to absorb poisonous substances in stools, leading to diseases such as arthritis, asthma, and colon cancer. There’s no evidence that the stools produce toxins or that colon cleansing, laxatives, or enemas can prevent cancer or other diseases. And constipation itself isn’t a disease.
