What happens if you poop green

The chlorophyll that gives those vegetables their green color can do the same to your poop. A less organic force — green food dye — also could be behind the Hulk-like hue on a 2. Consider this the consequence of eating a St. In any food-related case, the funky tint should disappear within a day or two once the source is flushed out of your system, says Dr.

Antibiotics can lead to small — and potentially colorful — changes to the way your body digests food. The reason? The medication can alter the bacteria flora in your gut, which can add a greenish tint to what comes out. Talk to your doctor ASAP.

Long-term, untreated diarrhea can lead to dehydration and poor nutritional status. While the nature of the visit may be awkward to discuss, a doctor can review your medication list, diet, and other medical conditions as a means to determine potential causes of chronically green stool. 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. 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. Salmonella food poisoning is one of the most common types of food poisoning. The Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of humans and animals. From groceries to medications, the things you consume can sometimes have bizarre — but ultimately harmless — side effects.

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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. However, here are some possible connections between colors and conditions:. If any discoloration persists, it is important that a person see a doctor instead of trying to work it out on their own. In addition to any traces of blood in the stool or bleeding from the anus, pay attention to any other symptoms that occur with stool discoloration. These may include nausea, vomiting blood, or a feeling of fullness.

Common causes of rectal bleeding include :. It is worth having a quick look at stool before flushing it away. Stool is a very good indicator of whether the digestive system is working properly. It may provide a clue to illnesses such as those mentioned above. According to the Bristol Stool Chart , there are seven shapes and consistencies of human stool.

As a general rule, type 3 or 4 is the ideal stool, as it is easy to pass but not too watery. Type 1 or 2 means that a person is probably constipated. Type 5, 6, or 7 indicates that a person probably has diarrhea.

This chart helps doctors identify problems and correlate the time food takes to pass through the digestive system. A common stool color change , green poop can mean that you've been eating green vegetables which are rich in chlorophyll or green, blue, or purple food coloring, or it can be caused by any condition that leads to diarrhea or loose stools.

Although stool is normally brown, the occasional green stool can fall within the normal range of stool colors. See your healthcare provider if green stool or another unusual stool color is ongoing or if you have other symptoms, like fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or pain.

Here are eight possible causes of green poop whether it is dark, bright, light green, or floating. Green poop can simply result from consuming meals with green vegetables, like spinach, kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, bok choy, beet greens, arugula, and watercress.

Dark green, leafy vegetables are rich in chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their color. Virtually any chlorophyll-rich plant food can cause green-tinged stool if you eat enough of it.

Nuts like pistachios, seeds like hemp seeds, and herbs like parsley, basil, and cilantro are also rich in chlorophyll. Matcha, a type of powdered green tea, can also make stools a bright green hue. Some foods contain green or blue and yellow food coloring that may turn your poop green.

These dyes are sometimes used in canned green peas, green beer, breakfast cereal, candy, jarred pickles, salad dressing, beverages, cake and cookie icing, and desserts. You'll also see these dyes in food around St. This video has been medically reviewed by Chris Vincent, MD. Besides the obvious green foods, deep blue or purple foods can sometimes lead to green poop.

Blueberries, grapes, and red wine, for instance, can result in a dark green-blue stool. Purple or red and blue food coloring in drink mixes, grape Kool-Aid and soda, frozen ice pops, cake icing, blue Gatorade, packaged fruit snacks, licorice, and grape-flavored Pedialyte can also cause dark or bright green poop.

These food dye colors are often used during holidays such as Easter, Independence Day, and Halloween. As bile makes its way through the small intestine to the large intestine via the bile ducts, it progressively changes color from green to yellow to brown. This is due to the action of bacteria in the large intestine acting on bile salts. In some cases, consuming lots of coffee, jalapenos, chili pepper, and alcohol can have a laxative effect, causing foods to pass through the intestines faster than normal called decreased transit time and before stool change color from green to brown.

Taking iron supplements can change the color of your poop to dark green or black. Juicing or going on a juice cleanse will also up your intake of chlorophyll and, in turn, increase the likelihood of green-tinged stools. If you experience green stools during a colon cleanse, it may be due to food rushing through your intestines too quickly to allow bacteria to give your stool its characteristic brown color. A high-fat diet, like the keto diet , may give your poop a bright green hue. With a high-fat intake, your body produces more bile to digest these fats and excess green-colored bile may find its way into the toilet bowl.

Green stool can occur during pregnancy. Some women get it in the earliest weeks of their pregnancy, sometimes even before the BFP "big fat positive" on the pregnancy test. Other women get it because they take prenatal vitamins which contain a higher dose of iron than the typical multivitamin or iron supplements.