“…The subjects reported the time of each defecation and subjective observations on stool colour (darker than usual, normal, lighter than usual). The stool consistency was estimated by the seven-point Bristol Stool Form Scale (O'Donnell et al, 1990), by which stools are scored according to cohesion and surface cracking: 1 ¼ separate hard lumps like nuts, 2 ¼ sausage-shaped but lumpy, 3 ¼ like a sausage but with cracks on its surface, 4 ¼ like a sausage, smooth and soft, 5 ¼ soft blobs with clearcut edges, 6 ¼ fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool, 7 ¼ watery, no solid pieces. Once a day, they also reported on the presence and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms: abdominal pain, flatulence, abdominal bloating and rumbling.…”