My stool has changed color. What does it mean?

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Your poop (stool) can come in a range of colors. All shades of brown and even green are considered normal.

The two main causes of poop color change are diet and conditions that change how fast food travels through our intestine. The speed that food travels through our intestine is important, because a substance that mixes with food, called bile, doesn't have enough time to break down if food is moving too fast through the intestine.

Bile is a yellow-green fluid produced by our liver and stored and released by our gallbladder. Anytime we eat food that contains fat, even a small amount of fat, a signal is sent to our gallbladder to release bile, which flows into the upper part of our small intestine through two small tubes (the cystic duct and common bile duct). As bile travels down our intestine it is chemically altered by enzymes, and the color changes from yellowish-green to brown. However, this process takes time and several different conditions can quicken intestinal transit time, meaning that bile retains some of its yellowish-green color.

The table below summarizes the most common color changes and possible reasons. Only rarely does stool color indicate a potentially serious intestinal condition. Generally, a color change accompanied by other symptoms, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, cramps, weight loss, or fever should be investigated further. Bright red or black poop may indicate the presence of blood and you should talk to your doctor straight away.

Color Medical Causes Dietary Causes Black stool

Bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol)
Bleeding within the GI tract (eg, from stomach ulcers)
Bowel ischemia
Cancer
Iron supplements
Varices
Vascular malformations

Blueberries
Dark chocolate
Iron supplements
Licorice

Blue/purple stool

Prussian blue (Radiogardase) – a medication used to move radioactive compounds from a person’s body
Porphyria

Blue food coloring
Blueberries/imitation blueberries
Blue drink mixes
Currants/raisins
Plums

Green stool

Crohn’s disease
Gall bladder disease
Infection (eg, E. coli, Giardia, Norovirus, salmonella)
Irritable bowel syndrome
Medications such as Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone birth control shot), indomethacin, iron supplements
Ulcerative colitis

Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, kale, spinach, wheatgrass
Iron supplements
Licorice
Green or black food coloring

Light-colored or clay-colored stool

Celiac disease
Gall bladder disease
Giardia
Lack of bile (eg, from a bile tract obstruction)
Large doses of anti-diarrhea drugs or bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol)
Liver disease
Pancreas disease

Gluten
Fatty foods

Red stool

Bleeding in the lower part of the digestive system
Cancer
Diverticulosis
Hemorrhoids
Ulcerative colitis/ Crohn’s disease
Worming medications

Beets
Cranberries
Red drink mixes
Red gelatin
Red food coloring
Sundried tomatoes
Tomato juice/soup

Yellow stool

Absorption disorders
Celiac disease
Infection
Liver and gall bladder disease
Pancreatic disorders

Carrots
Gluten
Sweet potatoes
Yellow food coloring

Color	Medical Causes	Dietary Causes
Black stool	Bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) Bleeding within the GI tract (eg, from stomach ulcers) Bowel ischemia Cancer Iron supplements Varices Vascular malformations	Blueberries Dark chocolate Iron supplements Licorice
Blue/purple stool	Prussian blue (Radiogardase) – a medication used to move radioactive compounds from a person’s body Porphyria	Blue food coloring Blueberries/imitation blueberries Blue drink mixes Currants/raisins Plums
Green stool	Crohn’s disease Gall bladder disease Infection (eg, E. coli, Giardia, Norovirus, salmonella) Irritable bowel syndrome Medications such as Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone birth control shot), indomethacin, iron supplements Ulcerative colitis	Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, kale, spinach, wheatgrass Iron supplements Licorice Green or black food coloring
Light-colored or clay-colored stool	Celiac disease Gall bladder disease Giardia Lack of bile (eg, from a bile tract obstruction) Large doses of anti-diarrhea drugs or bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) Liver disease Pancreas disease	Gluten Fatty foods
Red stool	Bleeding in the lower part of the digestive system Cancer Diverticulosis Hemorrhoids Ulcerative colitis/ Crohn’s disease Worming medications	Beets Cranberries Red drink mixes Red gelatin Red food coloring Sundried tomatoes Tomato juice/soup
Yellow stool	Absorption disorders Celiac disease Infection Liver and gall bladder disease Pancreatic disorders	Carrots Gluten Sweet potatoes Yellow food coloring

My stool has changed color. What does it mean?

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