The foods you consume, the drugs you take, or certain medical problems can all contribute to green, discolored stool. Green poop may need medical attention.

Seeing discolored stool might be concerning. However, there are a number of possible explanations for this, not all of which are harmful.

After you’ve finished staring into the bowl, recall the last few things you’ve eaten. The answer is probably in what you’ve been consuming. However, there are a few other reasons why stools can be colored, like:

• antibiotics
• a bacterial infection
• an underlying medical condition

The reasons for and effects of green poop are discussed in this article.

Why is poop generally brown?

Excrement often has a brown shade because of a residual mixture of bacterial waste and dead red blood cells from your intestines. Your intestines’ bile is typically yellowish-green in color. But bacteria contribute the remaining shade. In addition to turning your excrement dark, bacteria carry out really crucial tasks, like facilitating the absorption of nutrients from food.

When food doesn’t spend sufficient time in your digestive tract, it might cause your stool to change color. You may experience this when you have diarrhea. If so, what’s inside of your intestines move through the process too rapidly to give your poop its distinct color from beneficial bacteria.

Eating leafy greens

Green stool is most frequently caused by dietary habits or modifications. Green stools can be caused by the following foods:

• broccoli
• spinach
• kale

Dark green vegetables and green powder supplements have a chemical called chlorophyll. This is what helps plants use solar energy to make energy. If you eat a lot of them, your stool could become green. But this doesn’t always mean you have a medical problem. Just keep eating your veggies!

Blue- or purple-colored meals

Green-tinted stool discoloration can also be caused by blue or purple food and drink items. This holds true for products that are colored artificially or naturally, such as:

• blueberries
• red cabbage
• grape-flavored sodas
• purple or blue ice pops
• purple or blue icing

Dye coloring can travel through the digestive tract unabsorbed, leaving your feces with a colored residue. The nature of colors can be altered by digestive processes; hence, pigments that are purple, blue, or black may turn into green excrement after passage.

Bile pigment

A fluid produced in the liver and kept in the gallbladder is called bile. This liquid is greenish-yellow in nature. When bile combines with the food you eat, it helps your body break down more fat. This allows your body’s small intestine to take in more fat.

But before your body can eliminate the bile as waste, it needs to break down. Usually, a route via your gut is used to do this. Bile sometimes breaks down more slowly when you have diarrhea or other digestive problems. Because bile salts in your body naturally have a green tint, the outcome may be excrement that has a green hue.

Antibiotics and other prescription medications

Newly prescribed antibiotics, especially the more severe ones, can eliminate a large number of the normal bacteria in your stomach. As a result, the bacterial population in your lower intestine that produces brown stains decreases. Yogurt and kombucha contain probiotics. And these can help restore the normal balance of your intestinal bacteria.

Your stool may become green owing to a breakdown in pigments induced by a variety of medications and supplements. For instance, any supplement that has iron.

Bacteria, viruses, and parasites

Invaders that are bacterial, viral, or parasitic may possibly be the cause of your green stool. Yes, billions of bacteria already reside in your body and play an essential role in it. On the other hand, strangers can seriously damage your digestive output.

Green poop can result from bacteria such as norovirus, salmonella, and the water parasite giardia that cause your stomach to flush more quickly than usual.

Problems of the digestive system

Green poop can occur from bile passing through your intestines too rapidly if you have Crohn’s disease or another GI disorder. An inflammatory bowel condition that affects the digestive system is called Crohn’s disease.

Gluten sensitivity, or celiac disease, results in a number of gastrointestinal issues, including gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach discomfort. Green stools can also occur if you have celiac disease and loose or diarrheal stools.

Irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and excessive laxative usage are other conditions that may be the cause of green stools because they can accelerate the passage of bile through the digestive tract.

Complications after cholecystectomy

A cholecystectomy is a procedure where the gallbladder is removed.

There is no longer a liver-produced bile reserve when the gallbladder is removed. It can irritate the anal canal, induce bile acid diarrhea, and produce green or yellow frothy stools when discharged into the intestines.

Is green poop a sign of cancer?

If you have green stools, try not to freak out or think the worst. It is true that feces with different colors may indicate a malignant growth. Stools from cancer, however, are frequently tarry or black in appearance. This usually means that there is upper gastrointestinal bleeding from a trusted source. Furthermore, bright red blood can occasionally be seen in lower GI tumors.

Green stools alone don’t often indicate cancer, but you shouldn’t disregard them if they are combined with other symptoms.

Additional symptoms, such as persistent diarrhea or unimproving vomiting, may point to a more serious medical issue. Consult your physician right away.

When to visit a doctor?

Seek medical attention if your diarrhea has persisted for more than three days. Untreated diarrhea for an extended period of time can cause dehydration and low nutritional status.

A trip to the doctor is also necessary if your recurrent green stool is accompanied by more serious symptoms including nausea, blood in the stool, or upset stomach.

A doctor can examine your prescription list, food, and other medical problems to rule out any probable reasons of persistently green stool, even if discussing the reason for the appointment may be unpleasant.

The Takeaway!

It is quite rare that green stool is a reason for alarm if it is an isolated incident.

If, however, you notice different hues in your stool, there could be a problem. Potential lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage is indicated by bright red. A dark, viscous brown or black color might be an indication of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. But keep in mind that it can also be the black licorice or blueberries you had during lunch.

Addressing the underlying issue is the first step towards preventing green feces if you have been diagnosed with a medical condition. For instance, if you have celiac disease, stay away from items like gluten that cause diarrhea.

Green poop can occasionally occur, although they usually don’t cause concern. Stool discoloration may indicate a more serious condition if it occurs frequently, although it typically merely indicates that you’re not taking your green vegetables properly.