What is a Healthy Gut Transit Time?

You might already track your numbers - weight, blood pressure, cholesterol. But numbers don't always tell the whole story.

The Gut Transit Time is a lesser-known test that may reveal even more about your future healthspan. Gut transit time is the time it takes for food to travel through your digestive system (from mouth to anus), with the average whole gut transit time (WGTT) being around 28 hours, but a normal range can be anywhere from 12 to 100 hours depending on individual factors. Transit time can be longer for women (sometimes reaching up to around 100 hours) and still be considered within the normal range.

Factors that influence transit time:

• Diet - a diet rich in fiber can lead to a faster transit time.

• Exercise - regular exercise increases peristalsis, the muscle contractions that move food through the body, which can speed up transit.

• Hydration - drinking enough water helps maintain stool consistency and can help with transit.

• Overall health - conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroparesis, or chronic constipation can slow down transit.

You can try the Gut Transit Time Test today:

Eat a serving of brightly colored plant food - beets, corn, or blueberries work well. Then note how long it takes to reappear in your stool.

Why does this matter?

Your gut transit time is one of the most overlooked indicators of overall health. A healthy window is usually 12–24 hours. A whole gut transit time longer than 72-100 hours may be linked to constipation. A transit time of less than 12 hours may be associated with diarrhea.

If your gut transit time is longer than 24 hours your body may be holding onto an invisible backlog that quietly drains energy, fuels inflammation, and increases your risk of chronic disease. This is the central theme of my book, Young at Any Age: How to Feel Younger, Longer.

Gut transit time is just one data point of many when it comes to your gut health. Transit times can change on a daily basis. If you are concerned about your transit time, it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor.

Aging isn't defined by time - it's determined by the unfinished business your body carries. Digestion is just one queue. Stress, disrupted sleep, and sedentary patterns create others. The longer these queues remain uncleared, the more they compound.

Your backlog is your true age. Clear it, and you unlock the capacity to feel younger, stronger, and more alive.