The gut-brain connection has been studied again and again, and each time, a very real (and very important) link is discovered between overall health and the health of your gut. Although a healthy gut biome is not going to be a magic fix for your condition, if you notice changes in the way you are getting rid of waste (both urine and feces), your body may be trying to tell you something.

Urine and Diabetes

Most people are already aware of the impact diabetes can have on urine output. Largely due to issues with neuropathy (nerve damage), the bladder’s signals may become confused or nonresponsive, causing your body to either empty the bladder too frequently or to fail to empty the bladder entirely. While frequent urination is typically more a matter of inconvenience, not emptying your bladder fully can result in infection and should not be taken lightly.

If you’ve noticed a sudden increase in your urination have been experiencing difficulty emptying your bladder during your bathroom visits, keep an eye out for fever, dizziness, or nausea, as all of these can signal an infection of the urinary tract, bladder, or kidneys.

Diabetes and Waste

Changes in your typical bowel movement schedule can also signal trouble. Although people with diabetes may experience episodes of upset stomach, constipation, or diarrhea (just as anyone else can), a prolonged period of any of the three could signal some health trouble.

One of the simplest indicators of a problem is the color of your stool. While you can expect a range of the color brown, any other colors could be cause for concern. Black stool, for instance, could mean you ate something dark (such as blueberries) or with dark food coloring (such as licorice) but could also signal intestinal bleeding. Yellow stool suggests a lack of bile in your body’s digestive system.

The shape and consistency of your stool, too, should be taken into account. A normal, healthy shape should be soft but not liquid, and a single strip, like a small log. If your stool is sticky or tacky, you might not be absorbing fat properly. If your stool comes out in numerous pieces that are both large and hard, you may be struggling with constipation. If you have diarrhea, your body may be fighting a bacterial infection, have high blood sugar, or an intestinal parasite—all of which can be extremely harmful.

Although feces naturally smells unpleasant, particularly sharp or foul odors signal that something may be off. Typically, this smell comes from an infection or a lack of adequate gut flora, both of which are dangerous (though usually easy to treat). Although using the bathroom is a normal part of your day, don’t take healthy, regular bowel movements for granted. Your bowel movements may be the first indicators that something is amiss.