What do stool colors mean

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Who we serve Chevron Icon. Brokers and Consultants. Solutions Chevron Icon. Care Navigation. Sections Icon. Black stool. Light-colored stool. Bright red stool. When to call the doctor. Should I go to the ER? Buoy Chat Icon. See treatment options. Verified By Experts Icon. Verified by experts 6 min read. No Ads. If your stool is not normal-colored light or dark brown , it means you have some gut issue, whether it's just food that didn't sit right, food poisoning, or a virus.

Shria Kumar, MD. Last updated September 29, Heart Icon. Speech Bubble Icon. Share Icon. Facebook Icon. LinkedIn Icon. Pinterest Icon. It can be alarming to suddenly notice that your poop is looking a little… green. But there are a variety of reasons this could be the case, and not all of them are dangerous. But there are also some other causes of colorful stools:.

The usual brown color of excrement is due to a leftover mix of dead red blood cells and waste from the bacteria in your bowels. The bile in your intestines is usually a yellowish-green color, but bacteria add the rest of the hue.

Besides making your poop brown, bacteria perform vitally important functions, like helping you to absorb nutrients from your meals. This can happen if you have diarrhea. In that case, the contents of your intestines rush through the process too quickly to allow healthy bacteria to give your poo its characteristic hue.

The most common reason for green stool is a dietary habit or change. Food that can cause green stools include:. Dark green vegetables and green powder supplements contain chlorophyll , the chemical that allows plants to make energy from the sun.

Keep eating those greens! This can also leave a colorful residue in your stool. So if you wake up after a St. Purple, blue, and black dyes may also lead to green poop.

For example, in , fast food chain Burger King went viral with posts from individuals who had purchased their Halloween Whopper which had a black bun. Many people who partook in the Halloween Whopper reported that it turned their poop green after eating it. Bile is a fluid made in your liver and stored in your gallbladder.

This fluid naturally has a green-yellow color. When bile combines with foods you eat, the bile helps your body break down more fat from the diet. Many of these color changes do not signal a medical condition, but some can be signs of something more serious.

What makes poop green? Green stool is usually the result of eating a large quantity of leafy, green vegetables. Specifically, the chlorophyll in the plants produces the green color. Alternatively, children might have green stool after eating artificially colored frosting at a birthday party. However, people who do not eat a lot of greens or food coloring should be wary, as green poop can have a more serious cause. People who think their green stool is not the result of a diet rich in vegetables or green food coloring should discuss it with a doctor.

Stool is usually light to dark brown. A substance from red blood cells called bilirubin gets processed and ends up in the intestines. Bacteria then break it down further, and it turns stool brown. So, what does it mean when the color of poop suddenly changes, and what are some possible causes? Changes in diet can produce varying stool colors. Eating beets, high chlorophyll green vegetables, or licorice can significantly change stool color. Drinking Guinness or drinks that contain heavy dye, such as Kool-Aid, can have a similar effect.

In infants, foods may cause color changes, such as:. However, some causes of non-brown stool are more serious, and it is important to deal with these issues immediately. It is difficult to consistently relate a precise color to each condition. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Suneja M, et al. The abdomen, perineum, anus, and rectosigmoid. In: DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination. McGraw Hill; Accessed Sept. Feldman M, et al. Gastrointestinal bleeding.

Elsevier; What is celiac disease? Celiac Disease Foundation. See also Mucus in stool: A concern? Narrow stools: Should I be concerned?

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