This site details a recent study in which less than one bowel movement per day indicates a much greater chance of Parkinson’s, and calls less than one movement a day “constipated.”:
They don’t list data for 1 bowel movement per day. I suppose I should amend my prior statement to “less than one” to cover my butt in GQ, but for IMHO, I’ll let it stand, based on my experiences and those of my clients.
Yes, you’re absolutely correct that mainstream medical theory has called any pattern, no matter how far apart, “regular”, but my opinion (and one backed up by research such as this) is that they’re basing this idea of normality on highly not-normal people: us. There is little or no doubt that the average American diet is dreadful, and is particularly abysmal in just those elements which most impact frequency of bowel movements: fiber and water. So to look at what is “normal” for us is like living in the unmedicated schizophrenia wing of a hospital and concluding that paranoid delusions are “normal.”
Bearing in mind that we’re still in IMHO, I’ll share that anecdotally, my small herbal clinic puts great emphasis on fiber and water (drinking when thirsty, not by measurement, as well as avoiding caffeine and sugary drinks), and one of the questions our clients get asked every visit is the quality, quantity and consistency of stools. Without fail, every single person’s output increases when their diet improves (emphasis on variety, whole foods, vegetables and whole grains, and avoiding “convenience” foods) and they start to feel better.
And I’ll second **DrDeth **and reinforce what I said earlier: bulk insoluble laxitives shouls be taken with plenty of water, and are the only laxitives one should take without a doctor. Chemical laxitives are harsh and can lead to abuse and dependency. I’d much rather see people eat a pear, a plum and a handful of sunflower seeds, with a couple of slices of hearty whole-grain bun and some dark leafy greens every day than get their fiber out of a can. But if it must be a can, the bulk stuff is best. But remember to drink what the label says! Bulk forming laxitives in a dehydrated person are ugly and dangerous, as the water needed to move it through the tract doesn’t come with it, the way it does in fruit.