Several possible studies
Story checked
Here's What Your 'Ghost Poops' May Say About Your Gut Health : ScienceAlert (opens in a new tab)
sciencealert.com · 2026-10-05
Short answer
Several possible studiesNo clear answer.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.
Share this check
The story
Here's What Your 'Ghost Poops' May Say About Your Gut Health : ScienceAlert
sciencealert.com · 2026-10-05
The story’s checkable claims.
Read the original story (opens in a new tab)NewsLink checks it
Several studies could be the source of this story.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Open claim evidenceSearch result
Several studies could fit.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Source layer
The 7 papers the story cites
Source study separated from background citations.
The research anchor for the report.
- The study this story reportsmentioned without context
Floating stools--flatus versus fat.
The New England Journal of Medicine · 1972
- The study this story reportsmentioned without context
Are floating stools associated with specific functional bowel disorders?
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology · 2015
- The study this story reportsmentioned without context
Lower gastrointestinal symptoms are associated with worse glycemic control and quality of life in type 1 diabetes mellitus
BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care · 2018
- The study this story reportsmentioned without context
Genesis of fecal floatation is causally linked to gut microbial colonization in mice
Scientific Reports · 2022
- The study this story reportsmentioned without context
Differential Effects of Western and Mediterranean-Type Diets on Gut Microbiota: A Metagenomics and Metabolomics Approach
Nutrients · 2021
- Cited as backgroundmentioned without context
Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body
PLOS Biology · 2016
- Cited as backgroundmentioned without context
A human gut microbial gene catalogue established by metagenomic sequencing
Nature · 2010
Evidence layer
Claim by claim
What the story asserts. With no source study, there is nothing to check these against.
Reading mode
Scan verdicts. Open evidence only when needed.
Claim 1 of 8Not checked'Ghost poops' may sometimes be a good sign, because they could indicate that the intestines have sucked out most fatty oils or bile.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 2 of 8Not checkedEvidence from humans and animals suggests that trapped gas can make stools float, and that gas-producing gut microbes may be responsible.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 3 of 8Not checkedA 1970s study of 33 healthy people found 9 floaters and 24 sinkers, and the authors concluded that floating stools had more trapped gas, specifically methane produced in the colon.View evidenceHide evidence
As stated33 healthy human subjects; 9 floaters; 24 sinkers
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 4 of 8Not checkedA 2015 study found floating stools were reported by 26% of patients with functional bowel disorders versus 3% of patients with other functional gut disorders, and mixed IBS was independently linked to floaters.View evidenceHide evidence
As stated26 percent vs 3 percent
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 5 of 8Not checkedA 2018 study found floating stools were reported by nearly 13% of participants with type 1 diabetes, compared with 5% of controls.View evidenceHide evidence
As statednearly 13 percent vs 5 percent
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 6 of 8Not checkedIn 2022, researchers reported that germ-free mice produced sinking stools, but when bacteria and other gas-producing microbes were introduced, the stools began to float.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 7 of 8Not checkedA 2021 randomized trial in 20 healthy men found that two weeks on a fiber-rich Mediterranean diet produced more farting and more gas after meals than a standard Western diet, along with changes in gut microbial metabolism.View evidenceHide evidence
As stated20 healthy men; two weeks
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 8 of 8Not checkedThe article says people should pay attention to their poop's color, shape, and consistency, and that seeing nothing in the bowl is also a clue.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Method layer
No single source study was found.
NewsLink still surfaces nearby research so you can inspect the field instead of a single paper.
Nearby research
No exact source, but these papers are close.
PubMed, Crossref, Europe PMC · 19 candidate papers
Floating stools--flatus versus fat.
The New England Journal of Medicine · 1972 · PubMed, Crossref
Are floating stools associated with specific functional bowel disorders?
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology · 2015 · PubMed, Crossref
Lower gastrointestinal symptoms are associated with worse glycemic control and quality of life in type 1 diabetes mellitus
BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care · 2018 · PubMed, Crossref
Genesis of fecal floatation is causally linked to gut microbial colonization in mice
Scientific Reports · 2022 · Crossref
Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body
PLOS Biology · 2016 · Crossref
And 14 more candidates considered.