Usually, it is not a topic we like to talk about, but the color and type of stool can tell a lot about what is happening inside our body. One of the most common questions is why a person sometimes has green stools. We all know that stools are generally brown in color, so when something changes, it is natural to be concerned. So, should you be concerned if you sometimes have a green bowel movement?

What Causes Stool Color

First of all, it is important to know what causes stool color. Our feces is the waste material that leaves the body after the body has used much of the nutrients in food. When we eat, our digestive system begins to work to break down food to absorb nutrients. The liver secretes bile, which has a yellow-green color , to digest fats. Bile pigments react with enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract and change their color from green to brown.

Therefore, the distinctive brown color of stool comes from a mixture of dead red blood cells, bacterial residue, and bile.

Sometimes, there may be changes in stool color due to changes in your diet, an underlying health problem, or taking certain medications.

For example, yellow stools can sometimes be caused by the body not being able to absorb fats and this can affect people with celiac disease.

Sometimes black stools can be a sign of internal bleeding, but it can also appear if you are taking iron supplements or activated charcoal.

Green colored stools and its various causes

If you notice that you occasionally have dark green stools, you don’t necessarily need to worry about it. Green bowel movements are generally caused by a change in diet, a reaction to nutrients in food, or a digestive problem.

Let’s take a look at the main reasons below.

Food and diet

Dark green stools can be caused by eating large amounts of dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, kale, broccoli, peas, and cabbage.

This is due to the large amounts of chlorophyll in these vegetables. Chlorophyll is the chemical responsible for its green leaves and it has many health benefits. Because you’re taking in too much of the nutrients your body can use, the rest comes out as waste.

Eating large amounts of black licorice can also cause dark green stools . This is because licorice is usually made from anise oil and sugar, and some people have a sensitivity to anise oil that makes them green in color.

Of course, if you consume foods or drinks that contain green coloring, then this can also affect the color of your stools.

Medicines and vitamin supplements that can cause green colored stools

Vitamins, supplements, and medications can change the color of your bowel movements. As are iron pills, for example, which turns out to be a dark green or black “poop” . Other vitamins, supplements, and medications that can change the color of your stool. These include rhubarb, fiber supplements, spirulina, barley grass, chlorella, Yerba Mate tea, metformin, Lexapro (escitalopram), Nyquil, and Zoloft (sertraline).

Iron supplements

Another possible reason for this green discoloration when you have a bowel movement is due to taking iron supplements. Although iron supplements usually turn stools black, they can sometimes cause dark green stools.

Chlorophyll Supplements

Chlorophyll supplements are becoming very popular, and these, of course, in turn produce the green color when defecating. Generally, when you stop taking these types of supplements, your stool should return to its normal color.

Laxatives and colon cleansing

Because our stools change color while they are moving through the digestive tract, anything that speeds up this process will change their color. Therefore, laxatives and colon cleansers can cause a greenish color change when you evacuate, this because the bile, which has a yellowish-green color, has not had enough time to break down.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics can also cause green bowel movements. This is because antibiotics destroy some of the bacteria in the gut and affect the digestive process. Therefore, sometimes there are simply not enough bacteria left in the gut to turn the stool back to its “traditional” brown color.

Medical conditions and diseases

There are certain medical conditions and diseases that can cause your stools to come out green when you have a bowel movement. For example:

Gas

Sometimes, excess gas can build up due to an imbalance of bacteria in the gut, and if that’s the reason, then you could make green stools. Once you have solved this problem, the stool should return to its normal color again.

Salmonella

Salmonella infection can be caused by eating chicken meat or undercooked eggs; the lack of hygiene, or by the handling of reptiles or rodents. Salmonella can also be infectious and can be easily passed between family members.

Aside from the abdominal pain and diarrhea associated with salmonella, you may also notice that your stools are green.

Diarrhea

Any medical condition that causes diarrhea can lead to dark green stools. This is due to the fact that solid matter passes through the digestive systems faster than it should. Therefore, there is a higher concentration of green bile aft, since it has not had a chance to decompose.

Because diarrhea can interfere with the amount of nutrients the body can absorb and lead to dehydration, you should make sure to drink plenty of fluids.

You must remember that some antidiarrheal medications can also interfere with the color of your bowel movement, sometimes turning it yellow or black.

When the green-colored diarrhea stops , the stool should return to its normal color.

Gastrointestinal diseases that can cause green stools

There are some chronic gastrointestinal diseases that have a side effect of green stool. The reasons for this are similar to what has already been mentioned here: the fact that there is more bile and certain medications. Some of these diseases are:

Crohn’s disease produces green stools

Having Chron’s disease or another GI condition can promote rapid movement of bile throughout the intestinal system, leading to the appearance of green stools .

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

It is a common disorder that affects the colon. It differs from other inflammatory bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Chron’s disease in that it does not alter the intestinal tissue or increase the risk of colorectal cancer. It is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Diarrhea is usually green in color at times.

Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis occurs when you have inflammation and sores in the digestive tract, usually the large intestine and rectum. In addition to diarrhea, you may experience abdominal cramps, rectal pain, a feeling of a real need to have a bowel movement, bleeding when you have a bowel movement, weight loss, fatigue, fever, and other unpleasant symptoms. Colitis makes you more prone to green colored diarrhea .

Removing the gallbladder produces green stools

Removal of the gallbladder, which stores bile, can result in a green stool. This pear-shaped organ may need to be removed if you have gallstones, which are hard deposits of material that can block the flow of bile and cause great pain. Also known as a cholecystectomy, this is one of the most common surgeries in the United States.

Once your gallbladder is gone, your body no longer has a place to store bile. As a result, you may have some diarrhea that includes more bile than normal, which will turn your stool green . If you’re dealing with this symptom and your gallbladder was recently removed, don’t stress it out – diarrhea usually clears up within eight weeks as your body adjusts. If it doesn’t, or if you’re concerned, talk to your doctor.

Stress

Stress can affect your body in many ways. Stress can also play a role in going to the bathroom as it can produce dark green stools, and this is because it wreaks havoc on the digestive system and interferes with the way the body breaks down food.

An article published by Harvard Medical School showed that our nervous system helps regulate digestion. If stress becomes severe, the digestive process can slow down or be interrupted causing gastrointestinal disorders.

Once you’ve been able to better manage your stress levels, your stool should return to its normal color.

When to go to the doctor after having a green bowel movement

It is usually not necessary to seek medical attention for discolored stools. However, if you turn green for more than a few days, you should see a doctor.

If you think you have dark green bowel movements from taking iron supplements , you should talk to your doctor, who can adjust your iron dosage or recommend an alternative treatment.

If there does not appear to be another underlying medical condition, then your doctor can arrange for stool tests, do a blood test, and may even order a colonoscopy.

It is worth remembering that when it comes to the color of the stool, it should be brown and not too hard or too watery. A change in color means that something in the digestive process is not working properly and may indicate a health problem.

You should also consult a doctor anytime you notice that green color when going to the bathroom is accompanied by other symptoms, such as frequent abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, indigestion or flatulence.

By Dr. Eric Jackson

Dr. Eric Jackson provides primary Internal Medicine care for men and women and treats patients with bone and mineral diseases, diabetes, heart conditions, and other chronic illnesses. He is a Washington University Bone Health Program physician and is a certified Bone Densitometrist. Dr. Avery is consistently recognized in "The Best Doctors in America" list.

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