Don't forget to look before you flush the toilet: the tone of your stool can tell you a lot about your health and even alert you to warning signs that you may need a medical exam.
Why is poop brown?
The color of the stool is typically tan, or from light brown to dark brown. Your liver excretes a substance called bile into your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which in turn ranges from dark yellow to light orange. As it interacts with the contents of your digestive system (what you eat), it changes color.
What other stool colors can they mean?
But what if you look back and see a strange color in the toilet? Should you laugh? Put it on Instagram? Panic? Call your doctor?
In general, changes in stool color are influenced by what you eat, and there is usually nothing to worry about. However, there are some cases that do deserve a little attention.
Green
Green poop is likely caused by your diet. Spinach, green gelatin, teal ice cream (or anything that contains dye), black licorice, and black jelly beans are all culprits.
The color of your stools should return to normal once the food has passed through your system.
Yellow
If you have diarrhea, your stools may appear yellow or greenish. Diarrhea means that things rush through your system too quickly for stool to form properly. That also means there is less time for the stool to turn a darker color.
Yellow poop can also be the result of excess fat in your diet and could be a digestive side effect of a low-carb diet like keto.
blue
Again, it will be something you ate. Blueberries are the main culprit for a dark blue poop that can almost appear black.
Red
This is where things get tricky. The culprit can be totally benign, like beets, red jelly, or red sports drinks. Blood from hemorrhoids or a cut in the anus, if, for example, you were constipated, are also possible culprits.
However, red poop can also have more worrisome causes, such as bleeding in the lower colon. Blood in the stool is also a warning sign for colorectal cancer; Additional symptoms include a change in bowel habits (such as diarrhea or constipation) that lasts for more than a few days, abdominal cramps or pain, and involuntary weight loss.
If you think you're too young for that cancer, think again: Colorectal cancer rates and deaths from the disease are slowly increasing in people under 50, according to 2020 statistics published in ACS CA: A Cancer Journal. for Clinicians.
Garnet or dark red
A darker red color can also come from bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly where the colon meets the small intestine. Colon cancer, diverticulosis, colitis, and inflammation of the colon can all contribute to this maroon hue. Call your doctor if you see this tone in the toilet.
Black
This is another color that you generally don't want to see. Black poop can sometimes be benign – Taking Pepto-Bismol can make your stools turn a very dark color, as can iron supplements or eating a lot of blueberries. These are things you should report to your doctor so that he can properly evaluate you.
Black stools can also mean bleeding from the esophagus, stomach, or small intestine. That can be caused by a stomach ulcer or (rarely) a tumor in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Stool turns black because blood passes through the gastrointestinal tract and is broken down by digestive enzymes.
Clay, pale or white
Anti-diarrhea medications can clear stools. That said, clay-colored poops can also be indicative of a blockage in the liver or bile ducts.
Gallstones or a tumor in the pancreas can block these ducts. Call your doctor immediately if you have unusually light colored stools, especially if you have pain that could indicate something like a blocked bile duct.
When should you go to the doctor?
Poop that is red, black, or clay / white is an alarm to call your doctor. And if you're worried about any other poop tones it's not a bad idea to get on the phone. Experts recommend asking yourself these three questions before alerting yourself:
- Did you add something new to your diet? Did you eat spinach or beets? Did you eat something heavy on food coloring?
- Have you taken any new medications, either prescription, non-prescription, or a supplement?
- Do you have other physical symptoms? A major change in bowel habits, unintentional weight loss, localized pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue are symptoms that you should report to your doctor.
