Why Is My Poop Dark Green? The Real Causes

 Why is my poop green when I didn't eat anything green?

Your diet may make your poop green, but other factors such as drugs, bacteria, or medical disorders may also be to blame. But, in most cases, excrement is dark because it contains both wastes from your bowels' microorganisms and dead red blood cells.

The startling realization that your excrement is a touch... green? can be unsettling. Yet, there are numerous potential causes for this that are not all harmful.

Think about what you've been putting in your mouth recently after gazing inside the bowl. You'll probably discover the solution to what you've been eating. The following are some additional reasons for colored stools:

1. An underlying health issue
2. Antibiotics
3. Bacterial contamination

How come it's always brown?

Excrement typically has a brown color because of a residual mixture of waste products from the bacteria in your colon and dead red blood cells. Normally a yellowish-green tone, bile in your intestines is colored by bacteria to give it a more vibrant color. In addition to turning your excrement brown, bacteria carry out essential tasks like facilitating the assimilation of nutrients from food.

Once food doesn't have enough time to break down in your digestive system, your feces may have a distinctive color. If you have diarrhea, this could occur. In that instance, the contents of your intestines move through the system too quickly to give your poop its distinctive color from healthy bacteria.

1. Probably a food item you consumed

A dietary habit or shift is the most frequent cause of green stools. Some items that may result in green stools include:

1. Kale
2. Spinach
3. Broccoli
4. Blueberries

Chlorophyll, a substance that enables plants to harness solar energy, is present in dark green foods and green powder supplements. If you eat a lot of them, your excrement could become green, but it doesn't necessarily indicate that something is wrong. Maintain your greens intake!

Certain foods have food coloring that hasn't been properly processed in them. Also, your stool may pick up a colorful residue from this. Hence, if you notice something strange when you go to the restroom after spending St. Patrick's Day drinking green beer, you certainly only require a glass of water.

Your excrement can turn green without necessarily being colored by the green food coloring. Furthermore, black, blue, and purple dyes might cause green feces. For instance, in 2015, the fast food restaurant Burger King had a surge in popularity thanks to posts from customers who had bought the Halloween Whopper, which featured a black bun. Several participants in the Halloween Whopper said that after eating it, it colored their excrement green.

2. Bile pigmentation

Your liver produces bile, which is then kept in your gallbladder. The color of this fluid is greenish-yellow by nature. Bile aids in the breakdown of extra fat in the diet when it mixes with the meals you eat. This enables the small intestine to absorb more fat into your body.

Bile must be broken down by your body in order for it to be eliminated as waste. Taking a route through your intestine is typically accomplished. Bile can sometimes be broken down more slowly when you have diarrhea or other digestive problems. Due to your body's natural green bile salts, the outcome could be excrement that has a green tinge.

4. Worms, bacteria, & viruses

Your green stool could also be caused by parasitic, viral, or bacterial invaders. Sure, your body already has billions of helpful microorganisms. Yet, external factors can seriously harm your intestinal output.

Giardia, a water parasite, norovirus, and Salmonella are a few of the bacteria that can cause your stomach to flush more quickly than usual, which can result in feces that are tainted with green. Salmonella is the most prevalent cause of food poisoning.

5. Digestive disorders

When bile moves through the intestines too quickly, it can result in the green stool if you have Crohn's disease or another GI ailment. The digestive system becomes inflamed as a result of the bowel disorder Crohn's disease.

Gastrointestinal issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach pain are brought on by gluten sensitivity known as celiac disease. You might get green stools in addition to diarrhea or loose stools if you have celiac disease.

Irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and excessive laxative usage are a few additional conditions that could be the source of green stools. All of these conditions have been linked to accelerated bile transit through the intestines.

6. Anal perforations

A firm stool often causes anal fissures, which are tiny tears in the tissue lining your anus. Yet, if you have an inflammatory bowel condition or chronic diarrhea, these tears may also appear. Hence, you can get green stools if you have an anal fissure along with diarrhea.

Blood in your stool that is vivid red might also be caused by fissures.

Is green poop a symptom of cancer?

If you have green stools, don't freak out or assume the worst. It is true that having multiple colored stools may indicate the presence of a malignant tumor. Yet stools from cancer patients frequently have a dark color, like black or tar. This often denotes upper GI tract hemorrhage. Moreover, lower GI tract tumors can occasionally produce bright red blood.

Even though green stools aren't typically a cause for alarm or a sign of cancer, you shouldn't disregard green poop that's accompanied by other symptoms.

If you experience other symptoms, such as persistent vomiting or diarrhea, these could be signs of a more serious medical issue. Speak with your doctor right away.

When to consult a doctor

Get an appointment with a doctor if your diarrhea has persisted for longer than three days. Dehydration and inadequate nutrition can result from persistent, untreated diarrhea.

In addition, you should see a doctor if your chronic green stool is accompanied by more serious symptoms including nausea, stomach pain, or blood in the stool.

A doctor can check your medical history, food, and other conditions to identify potential causes of persistently green stools, even though the reason for the appointment could be awkward to share.

What to remember

Green stool is extremely unlikely to be a serious problem if it occurs just sometimes.

A problem, nevertheless, can be indicated if you notice different colors in your stool. Blood in the lower intestines could be seen as bright red. You may have upper GI bleeding if your urine is black or dark tarry brown. Remember that, it may also be the blueberries or black licorice you consumed at lunch.

Taking care of the underlying issue is the first step in preventing green poop if you have a medical condition. If you have celiac disease, for instance, stay away from items that cause diarrhea, like gluten.

The majority of the time, having occasional green stools is nothing to be concerned about. An occasional incident usually merely implies you're eating your vegetables, but persistent episodes could indicate something more serious.

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