Green, discolored poop may be caused by the food you eat, taking certain medications, or some medical conditions. In some cases, green poop may require medical treatment.
It can be alarming to notice discolored stool. But there are a variety of reasons this could be the case, and not all of them are dangerous
After looking in the bowl, think back on what you’ve been putting in your mouth lately. You’ll most likely find the answer in what you’ve been eating. But there are also some other causes of colorful stools:
This article covers the causes and implications of green-colored stool.
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.
Feces can be a different color when food doesn’t spend enough time in your digestive tract. 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. Eating a lot of them can turn your poop green, but that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. Keep eating those greens!
Blue or purple food and drinks may also cause green-tinted stool discoloration. This applies to items with both natural and artificial colorings, including:
The coloring from dyes can pass through the digestive system without absorption, leaving a colorful residue in your stool. Digestive processes can change the nature of dyes, meaning that purple, blue, and black dyes can lead to green poop upon passing.
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. This allows more fat to be absorbed into your body in the small intestine.
However, your body must break down bile to excrete it as waste. Normally, this is accomplished by traveling a pathway through your intestine. Sometimes when you have diarrhea or other digestive issues, bile can’t be broken down as quickly. The result can be poop that appears green in tint because of the natural green color of bile salts in your body.
If you’ve recently been prescribed antibiotics, especially a strong one, the medication can kill off large parts of your gut’s normal bacteria. This decreases the population of the brown-staining bacteria in your lower intestine. Probiotics, such as yogurt or kombucha, can help restore balance to your intestinal flora.
Several other medications and supplements can also cause a breakdown in pigments that turns your stool green. One example is iron supplements.
Parasitic, viral, and bacterial invaders can also be causing your green stool. Yes, your body already contains billions of bacteria that serve a vital purpose. Outsiders, however, can wreak havoc on your intestinal output.
Bacteria like Salmonella, the water parasite giardia, and norovirus can cause your guts to flush quicker than normal, leading to green-tinged stools.
If you have Crohn’s disease or another GI condition, bile may move through your intestines too quickly, causing green poop. Crohn’s disease is a bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract.
Celiac disease, which is gluten intolerance, causes various GI problems, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach pain. If you have diarrhea or loose stools with celiac disease, you may also have green stools.
Other possible causes of green stools include irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and overuse of laxatives since these issues can cause rapid bile movement through the intestines.
Cholecystectomy is surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Following gallbladder removal, there’s no reservoir for bile made in the liver. When released into the bowels, it may cause bile acid diarrhea, irritate the anal canal, and cause green or yellow frothy stools.
Don’t panic or imagine the worst if you have green stools. Different-colored stools can indeed be a sign of a cancerous tumor. But with cancer, stools are often a black or tarry color. This typically indicates bleeding from somewhere in the upper GI tract. Additionally, sometimes bright red blood occurs in lower GI tact cancers.
Although green stools aren’t usually a cause for concern or a sign of cancer, you shouldn’t ignore green poop accompanied by other symptoms.
If you have other symptoms, such as recurring diarrhea or vomiting that doesn’t improve, this can indicate another serious medical condition. Talk with your doctor ASAP.v
If you’ve experienced diarrhea for more than 3 days, seek medical care. Long-term, untreated diarrhea can lead to dehydration and poor nutritional status.
If your chronic green stool is accompanied by more severe symptoms, such as stomach upset, blood present in the stool, or nausea, these symptoms also warrant a doctor’s visit.
While the nature of the visit may be awkward to discuss, a doctor can review your medication list, diet, and other medical conditions to determine potential causes of chronically green stool.
Green poop doesn’t necessarily indicate a bad liver; it’s often due to bile passing through the digestive system too quickly.
Green poop can result from infections, like gastroenteritis, which can speed up the digestive process.
Liver damage can cause pale or clay-colored stool due to a lack of bilirubin reaching the intestines.
Concern about green poop is warranted if it persists for more than a few days or is accompanied by other concerning symptoms like abdominal pain or fever.
If you experience green stool as a one-off symptom, it’s highly unlikely to be cause for concern.
However, seeing other colors in your stool may indicate an issue. Bright red signifies potential bleeding in the lower intestines. A black or dark tarry brown could indicate bleeding in your upper GI tract. But remember, it could also be the blueberries or black licorice you had at lunch.
If you’re diagnosed with a medical condition, preventing green poop starts with addressing the underlying problem. For example, avoid foods like gluten that trigger diarrhea if you have celiac disease.
In most cases, occasional green stools are nothing to worry about. Long-lasting bouts of discolored stool may signal something more serious, but a one-time occurrence usually just means you’re eating your vegetables.
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If you've ever answered nature's call and encountered a mysterious, unexpected shade of green, you're not alone. While green poop is often due to dietary factors like eating leafy greens or green-colored foods, sometimes rapid transit through your digestive system doesn't allow enough time for the bile pigment to be fully broken down and absorbed, resulting in a distinctly green hue.
Here, we explore why your poop is green and answer frequently asked questions, like should you be concerned when you pass green stool? Why is brown the usual color? And when should you see your doctor? Keep reading to learn more.
5 Reasons Why Your Poop Is Green
1. You're Eating a Lot of Green Foods
Eating too many green foods, whether with food dyes or naturally colored, can turn your poop green. More specifically, leafy greens like spinach, kale and Swiss chard are rich in chlorophyll, the green pigment that can temporarily tint your stool, per MedlinePlus, a resource of the National Library of Medicine. While it might be surprising, it's usually harmless and a sign that your body is making the most of those nutritious greens.
Sarah Robbins, M.D., MSC, FRCPC, a gastroenterologist and the founder of Well Sunday, tells EatingWell, "Consuming large amounts of green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach or kale, can result in green stools. Food coloring and certain dyes in processed foods or drinks can also change stool color."
2. You May Have Rapid Transit Time
"If food moves too quickly through the intestines, bile doesn't have time to break down completely," says Robbins. "Bile is a greenish-yellow fluid produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into the intestines to help digest fats. When stool passes through the intestines rapidly, bile can still be green, leading to green stools."
A rapid transit time could happen due to different causes, such as food poisoning, gastrointestinal conditions and the use of laxatives. It's important to discuss this with your health care provider to identify the root cause and determine whether it's a concern or not.
3. You're Taking Medications or Supplements
Certain medications or supplements can play a role in changing the color of your stool. "Iron supplements can result in green or black stools. Also, certain antibiotics can lead to green stools by altering the gut's microbial balance," says Robbins.
4. You May Have a Bacterial Infection
Harmful bacteria can interfere with digestion, affecting how your body breaks down and absorbs nutrients. If your green poop is accompanied by other symptoms like diarrhea, fever or abdominal pain, seek medical attention to rule out potential infections.
"Certain bacterial infections, such as those caused by Salmonella or Giardia, can lead to green diarrhea," says Robbins. "The green color can result from the rapid transit time associated with diarrheal illness or the microbial activity in the gut."
5. You May Have a Functional Gut Disorder
Digestive conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other functional gut disorders, can influence the color and consistency of your stool. These disorders can impact how your intestines move and process food, leading to changes in poop color.
"Functional disorders like IBS might occasionally result in green stools, especially during episodes of diarrhea or rapid transit," states Robbins.
Why Brown Is the Normal Color
Poop's brown color traces back to a substance called bilirubin, a component of your bile. This yellow compound is formed when your body breaks down old red blood cells, per StatPearls. As bilirubin travels through your liver and gallbladder, it transforms into a stercobilin—a compound responsible for giving stool its brown shade.
"Stool is typically different shades of brown from bile mixing with stool as it travels through the healthy gastrointestinal tract," explains Supriya Rao, M.D., a board-certified physician in gastroenterology and lifestyle medicine physician.
When Should You Be Worried About Colored Poop?
Pale-Colored Poop
If your stool appears pale or clay-colored, it could indicate a problem with your liver, gallbladder or bile ducts, notes MedlinePlus. Bile gives your poop that brown hue, so disrupting its flow might lead to the absence of color.
"Light-colored or clay-colored stool can indicate a lack of bile. This may be due to a blockage of bile ducts, liver diseases or issues with the gallbladder, like gallstones," says Robbins.
Red or Black Stool
If you find a surprising red or black shade in the toilet, it could signify bleeding in your gastrointestinal tract. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, red poop might suggest bleeding lower in your digestive system, possibly from hemorrhoids or anal fissures. Conversely, black stool could indicate higher bleeding from ulcers, polyps or gastritis.
"If you have red or black stools, see a physician to evaluate for potential intestinal bleeding from hemorrhoids, ulcers, inflammatory conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and even colon cancer," advises Rao.
When to See a Health Care Provider
Robbins says, "Certain signs and symptoms related to stool may indicate underlying gastrointestinal conditions that necessitate a visit to a primary care physician or a specialist."
Robbin notes that the following signs and symptoms may indicate an underlying condition:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is green poop a sign of cancer?
Green poop on its own is typically not a sign of cancer. However, if you're consistently experiencing unusual color changes accompanied by other concerning symptoms like blood in stool, extreme weight loss or persistent pain, consult a health care professional for proper evaluation.
2. Is green poop a problem?
In most cases, green poop isn't a cause for alarm. It can often be attributed to dietary choices, such as consuming leafy greens or foods with green food coloring. However, talk to your doctor if the green color and other symptoms persist.
3. How can I fix my green poop? Or should I?
If your green poop is due to dietary factors, there's usually no need to try to change it actively. However, if you're experiencing discomfort, such as diarrhea or cramping, consider adjusting your diet and seek medical guidance.
The Bottom Line
Green poop is not uncommon and is often due to dietary choices, like consuming leafy greens or foods with green coloring. Rapid digestion can also prevent bile pigment from breaking down completely, leading to a green tint.
Other causes include certain medications, bacterial infections, gut disorders and green food dye. If you experience other symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort along with your green poop, or it lasts longer than a few days, visit your health care provider for proper assessment.