Though green is less common than the typical brown when it comes to stool colors - it is not a cause for concern unless you have additional discomfort or symptoms. Your body might not be used to the higher fiber content and digest less of it. You might see a more-green-than-usual stool if you ate a significantly unusual amount of green veggies the day before. This is because these fiber-rich foods might possess more chlorophyll than the bile in your stomach can manage to break down before it's expelled from the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you are eating a lot of chlorophyll-rich foods like spinach, broccoli, and kale-you might see that reflected in your poop color. When your stool is darker brown, it is generally healthy unless you have other symptoms, says Dr. BrownĪs bile and food move through the digestive tract, enzymes typically alter these materials changing them from green to brown, according to the Mayo Clinic. 5 common stool colors-and what they can tell us 1. If you are experiencing difficulty with the color of your. Gluten-containing foods can also cause light yellow stools, as can a diet high in fats. The yellow color of the stool is due to the high levels of food coloring found in carrots and sweet potatoes. So, let's get down to business, shall we? Here are five explanations behind different poop colors and when you might want to check in with your doctor. Certain foods and substances can make your stool yellow. Green and brown shades of stool are typically normal, other colors can be concerning unless you had medicine or food that influences the shade, says Mark Pimentel, MD, an associate professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology at Cedars-Sinai. Most of the time, the color of your stool is not a cause for concern. So undigested items, hydration levels, medicine, fats, blood, and bile are all factors involved in the colors of your stool. Food that your body can't digest-like fibers and some fats-move through the small intestine, large intestine, and out of the rectum. The fluid in your stomach called bile breaks down food and nutrients are absorbed through the stomach wall, according to the Mayo Clinic. As you can imagine, your food intake plays a significant role in the pigment and texture of your stool. What impacts stool color in the first placeīefore we get into the potential colors you might see, let's discuss what affects your poop color. Mark Pimentel, MD, Mark Pimentel MD, an associate professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology at Cedars-Sinai.Brooke Scheller is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and personalized nutrition expert specializing in nutrition strategy, brand and innovation in the health and wellness industry.

Foods that lighten stool color