Most people flush their number two’s down the toilet as fast as possible, for many reasons. And while it may gross you out, taking a peek in the toilet after a bowel movement is a great way to make sure things are OK regarding your gut health. “The color of your poop gives us an idea of how healthy your GI (gastrointestinal) tract is,” says Dr. Kavita Shanker-Patel, MD, family medicine at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital. If you’ve ever spotted poop that’s a, err, irregular color, you may have found yourself wondering, why is my poop green? Let’s break it down.
What does “healthy” poop look like?
According to Dr. Shanker-Patel, healthy poop is generally a brownish color (dark brown to medium brown). “It is generally formed and comes out in a few solid pieces,” she says. “It is important to know that there may be variations from this which may be ’normal’ for people—it all depends on what a person’s baseline poop is.” To determine that, you can also take a look at the Bristol Stool Chart, which lists seven types of stool, along with drawings and descriptions. Besides color, the smell can also give a lot away. “No one would describe stool smell as pleasant. Nonetheless, it should not smell particularly foul or repulsive. Unusually vile-smelling stool can be a sign of an unhealthy amount of bacteria load in the GI tract, a malabsorptive state in your GI tract, the presence of infection (pus), or ischemia (insufficient blood circulation to GI organs),” says Dr. Christine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. So if you look in the toilet and notice your poop has a green color, you may be a little startled. Here’s what it could mean.
Why is my poop green?
Here are eight possible reason for green poop.
1. Infectionslikegiardia, norovirus, or c. difficile
“Giardia, norovirus, and C. Difficile all have been known to turn the color of your stool to green,” says Dr. Lee. “The infection in the GI tract, along with the faster transit time it causes, disrupts the bile absorptive/recycling process, which all contribute to turning the stool green.”
2. Antibiotics
“Antibiotics can influence the color of your stool. Antibiotics alter the natural biome (bacteria that live in your gut that helps with digestion),” says Dr. Lee. “When this gets altered, the color of your stools gets altered ,and often times turn green due to increased bile presence in your stool.”
3. Other medications
“Other medications like iron supplements, the contraceptive shot Depo Provera, and more may also cause the stool to turn a greenish color,” says Dr. Shanker-Patel.
4. Vitamins and supplements
“Certain vitamin, probiotics, health supplements, and some herbal teas can turn your stool color, so keep that in mind,” says Dr. Lee.
5. Eating lots of healthy green foods
“Eating too many green foods at once can also cause green colored stool, as they have chlorophyll, which is known to be the culprit,” says Dr. Shanker-Patel.
6. Eating artificially colored foods
“One of the most common causes of your stool color changing to green is food coloring (sports drink green in color, green gelatin dessert, green cupcake frosting, green shamrock shakes, FD &C Yellow 5, FD &C Blue 1,etc.),” says Dr. Lee. “And remember that blue and yellow make green.”
7. Liver or gallbladder problems
“Problems with your liver or gallbladder can impede your body’s ability to break down bile acids, and can change the color hue of your stools from varying shades of brown-yellow-green,” says Dr. Lee.
When should you consult your doctor?
Although green stools do not typically mean that something serious is going on, if you’ve had them for longer than a few episodes, or if they are associated with blood in the stool or black tarry stool, then you need to consult with your doctor, says Dr. Shanker-Patel. That’s because red, maroon, and tarry black may signal possible bleeding in the GI tract. “Grey clay color may suggest possible pancreatic concerns,” says Dr. Lee. If you are concerned about changes in stool color, consistency or caliber of your stool, don’t be afraid to consult your doctor. Next up: What Does Healthy Poop Look Like?
Sources
Dr. Christine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland ClinicDr. Kavita Shanker-Patel, MD, family medicine at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
