Pitta Stool Analysis: What's a Pitta Poo and What To Do?
Updated: Apr 30
Do you find yourself urgently looking for a restroom? Loose stools? Diarrhea? 💩 Hot stools? Heat sensations anywhere in your digestive system? GERD? Heartburn? IBS? UC? Alternating constipation and diarrhea? Learn about Pitta stool analysis and Ayurvedic remedies.
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According to the National Institute of Health, “It was reported that chronic diarrhea or loose or watery stools affected up to 26.9% of adults in the United States.” Having diarrhea as part of a bug or a bad meal is bad enough, but when it has an-going presence, it's trying to get your attention.
Why are bowel movements important in Ayurveda?
If you've been reading up on Ayurveda, you might be wondering why the digestive system is at the heart of every health concern in Ayurveda.
"When appetite is balanced, and digestion, assimilation, and elimination are working well, food is taken in and let go the way nature intended. We feel good, we don't have symptoms (heartburn, constipation, lose stool, bloat, pain, and gas) and our digestive system is working optimally and therefore not forming ama."
--Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
What Is Āma?
"Āma denotes the abnormal or impaired process of digestion and metabolism that leads to build up of toxic by-products, which cannot be neutralized or eliminated by the body." (National Institute of Health) "Āma is the root of all disease, illnesses, conditions, and imbalances, according to Ayurveda. This is why the digestive system is at the heart of any health concern.
"Think of a car engine's oil. When it is clean, it smoothly flows through the parts and the engine works well and the car operates correctly. What happens if the oil is not changed regularly? The viscosity changes, it becomes an overly thick, gunky substance that compromises the car. That's car Āma. Eventually it will ruin the car's engine. Our number one job in Ayurveda, is to rid the body (and mind) of toxins (ama) so we enjoy good health."
--Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
What does Ayurveda say about poop?
According to Ayurveda, the color, texture, frequency, and smell of your poop are all indicators of your overall health. For instance, if your poop is discolored, watery, or too hard, this points to internal issues within your digestive tract - and likely beyond.
When you understand how to analyze your elimination with Ayurveda, you can proactively address health issues early on — as opposed to waiting until your symptoms become conditions and diseases.
Ayurveda stool analysis is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that can see into the 30 feet of digestive tract.
In this article about poo, we’re going to explore what your poop says about your health — according to Ayurveda — and how to accurately analyze yours to assess what your body needs.
For information on what's regular vs. irregular bowel movements, how many times a day should you have a bowel movement, what the color of stool means, and a deep dive into Ayurveda stool analysis, visit our popular article Ayurveda Stool Analysis: What Your Poop Says About Your Health.
Ready to learn about Pitta poo and what to do? Grab the toilet paper and let’s do this!
Key Ayurveda Concept: Pitta Dosha
Everything and everyone in the world around us is composed of five great elements or, panchamahabhuta:
Air (vayu)
Fire (agni)
Water(jal)
Earth (prithvi)
Space (aakash)
Ayurveda groups these elements into three basic energetic properties, known as doshas. These foundational energies (called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) are the building blocks of our entire universe.
Pitta: That Which Transforms
Fire and water combine to form Pitta dosha. Think of Pitta as having an unctuous quality. A universal force of action/reaction/metabolism, Pitta governs all transformations within the body and mind (think digesting thoughts, emotions, sunlight, and of course food). Pitta characteristics are hot, light, sharp, oily, liquid, and spreading. The idiom, spreads like wildfire, says it so well.
In balance, Pitta energy is ambitious, discerning, charismatic, strong-willed, and insightful. Out of balance, it sparks heat in the body and mind (such as inflammation, indigestion, heartburn, lose stools, alternating constipation and diarrhea, and fiery emotional responses like jealousy, criticism, and anger).
Pitta's fiery nature is cooled with our free daily guided practices.
How To Recognize Pitta Imbalances
Wondering if you have signs and symptoms of excess Pitta? Read the 35 signs of Pitta in body and mind.
"The first sign of dosha imbalance is in the digestive system. If they are not rebalanced there, the doshas spills out and overflows, going into circulation and moving around the body (and mind). This is why Ayurveda takes to heart, what's going on in your gut." --Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
35 Signs of Pitta Imbalances
Body:
1. Frequent and/or urgent stools that are soft, loose, liquid, or oily (soft serve ice cream and looser).
2. Red, burning, or irritated skin including eczema and dermatitis
2. Headaches with burning sensation and migraines
3. Rashes, response to insect bites
6. Inflammation or any of the "itis” conditions
7. Acne
8. Stomach heat increases, causing heartburn, acid reflux, GERD and ulcers
9. Hyperthyroidism
10. Overactive metabolism
11. Nausea or discomfort upon missing meal
12. Heat avoidant or intolerant
13. Heavy, clotty cycles
14. Interrupted sleep
16. Inflammation in the body can lead to joint pain
17. Increased sweating and sour or foul body odor.
18. Increased hunger and thirst
19. Heated digestive system issues: inflammatory bowel conditions and flare ups
20. Excessive thirst, unquenchable thirst
21. Autoimmune disorders
22. Fevers
23. Acute inflammation of the joints
24. Sun avoidant
Mind:
27. More argumentative, judgmental, competitive, angry, irritated, frustrated, and nit-picky (short fused)
29. Workaholic tendencies
30. Burned out
31. Jealousy
32. Impatience, criticism, and intolerant
33. Overly attached to goals
34. Ego inflamed
35. Controlling, fiery personality
Remember that idiom, spreads like wildfire? Pitta imbalances if not addressed in the digestive system in time, flow over and spread into other locations in the body and mind.
Pitta Stool Analysis: What's a Pitta Poo and What To Do?
Pitta Dosha Poo Analysis
Pitta dosha body types are governed by fire, which means they are more likely to experience an irritated or inflamed digestive tract. (E.g.: IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, GERD, heartburn, acid reflux, ulcers)
What is Pitta-Type Stool?
A healthy Pitta stool will be passed twice a day (usually in the morning within an hour of waking and not following coffee, and again after lunch), be brown-yellow in color, have a firm texture, and contain a mild odor.
Balanced Pitta Stool Summary:
Quantity: Moderate
Quality: Slightly oily, soft
Consistency: Ripe banana
Float or Sink: Floats for lack of ama
Color: Light brownish-yellow Odor: Mild, non-offensive
Frequency: 1-2 times a day, upon waking and before coffee
Passes: Easily
When Pitta is imbalanced, the stool will be looser (ranging from soft-serve consistency to watery, and more frequent (meaning it occurs more than twice a day), often urgent and causes bloating and gas, be yellow-brown in color due to increased bile, may burn or be painful to eliminate, and contain a pungent, potent odor.
Imbalanced Pitta Stool Summary:
Quantity: Moderate Quality: Oily, liquid, hot Consistency: Looser, falls apart in water, soft serve Float or Sink: May float or sink Color: Yellow-green or red Odor: Strong!
Frequency: Often 2-3 times a day Passed: Too quickly, urgent, hot
Complicated Imbalances
The doshas do not operate in isolation, there's a dynamic dance and it can get complicated. Long term dosha imbalances tend to involve more than one dosha and results in more involved issues. In this case, it is best to seek experienced guidance of a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner.
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Ayurveda Stool Analysis: Stool Colors and What They Mean
Brown
Any shade of brown is what you’re aiming for — this combined with the texture of your poop will indicate how healthy your digestive tract and body are.
Yellow
If your poop is yellow or yellow-brown this indicates you have too much fat in your intestines due to malabsorption, an intestinal condition or disease, high Pitta, or improper nutrition.
Red
Red poop means something you ate either had red food coloring in it, you have hemorrhoids, or perhaps bleeding in your digestive system.
Pale, White or Clay-colored
What causes pale stools? Pale-ish, clay-colored stools may be caused by a lack of bile making its way from the liver to the gallbladder, to the intestine. Bile is what colors the stool; a pale, clay-colored stool means no bile is present.
Very Green
If your poo comes out looking like a bright shade of green, this either means you have diarrhea (and it’s green because it’s coming out of your body too fast and has not fermented properly) or you ate a lot of greens or consumed green food dye.
Pale, Clay-Colored Stools
Palish, clay-colored stools may be caused by a lack of bile making its way from the liver, to the gallbladder to the intestine. Bile is what colors the stool. A pale, clay stool means no bile.
Greasy, Slippery Looking Stool
You know it when you see it. As with clay-colored stools, greasy stool is usually a result of low bile flow from the liver and then the holding tank of bile, the gallbladder. Remember bile is what colors the stool. It's a greenish-yellow fluid that has many functions including emulsifying fats and carrying away waste. If the fats are not broken down, the undigested fat slimes up the stool.
How to Balance Pitta Poo
Avoid heating foods: Chile, raw onion, garlic, and cayenne irritate the Pitta type or those with Pitta conditions, as this dosha is already fiery to begin with. To cool Pitta, eat cooling foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, rice, quinoa, and dark leafy greens.
Avoid alcohol and coffee consumption: Stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol aggravate Pitta digestive system and mind, and are best avoided. Opt instead to drink Pitta cooling herbal teas and plenty of water.
Pitta Dosha Guide: Will provide you insights into Pitta's role in both body and mind, and how that impacts the digestive system, Pitta time of day, Pitta season and much more.
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Pitta Stool Analysis: What's a Pitta Poo and What To Do? Have you decoded your poo and know what to do? If not, Saumya Ayurveda's got your back.
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Veena is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and meditation teacher, and monk.
She is President Emeritus and teaching faculty of the Meditation Center.
Veena fell in love with the traditional medicine used in her family’s home, learning herbal remedies at her grandmother's knee.
These childhood experiences were the seeds of a lifelong passion. For over 30 years, Veena has dedicated her life to the world’s oldest healing system: Ayurveda.
She draws on this ancient wisdom to help others find their compass to a healthy life – and support those left wanting by Western medicine.
An experienced Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Veena’s deep, intuitive knowledge of Ayurveda empowers her clients to reclaim their fullest, most vibrant lives –mentally, physically, and spiritually. Veena individualizes treatment plans to each person, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, so it fits your life and becomes woven in your lifestyle, naturally.