Health

Guide to a healthy gut

Illustrations by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff

Sy Boles

Harvard Staff Writer

April 27, 2026

1 min read

Test your knowledge by taking our quiz — featuring advice from doctor’s new book

About 40 percent of Americans say their bowel movements, or lack thereof, are disruptive to their daily lives, according to Trisha Pasricha, the Harvard Medical School assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and director of research for the Institute for Gut-Brain Research at BIDMC.

The gastroenterologist and the writer behind The Washington Post’s “Ask a Doctor” column is also the author of a new book, “You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong: How to Make Your Bowel Movements a Joy.” She helped us to develop the following quiz about gut health.

Step 1 of 9

11%

1. True or false: Pooping once a day is ideal.

True

False

2. Aside from humans, what other animal is prone to severe constipation?

Geese

Dogs

Rabbits

Porpoises

3. What is the medical term for rumbling, gurgling, or churning noises in the bowels?

Borborygmus

Crepitus

Flatus

Jugulus

4. True or false: Telling a lie can affect the function of the bowels.

True

False

5. How much fiber does the National Academy of Sciences recommend for men and women under 50, respectively?

155 and 110 grams

74 and 48 grams

38 and 25 grams

18 and 12 grams

6. When you think of high-fiber foods, you likely think of prunes. What other fruit has been extensively studied for its bowel effects?

Kiwi

Pineapple

Passion fruit

Cantaloupe

7. Which of these loaves of bread is best for gut health?

A) Packaged white bread loaf

B) Packaged whole grain loaf

C) Unpackaged, fresh-baked, whole grain loaf

8. True or false: Processed meats are actually good for gut health.

True

False

9. Which of the following is true of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

They are more likely than healthy people to have suffered trauma to the stomach, such as stomach suctioning, as infants

They are more likely to have experienced childhood emotional trauma than healthy people

They have about 3.5 times more pain receptors in their colons compared to healthy people

All of the above

Δ