1st Revision: Avantika Pandey Stool (also known as poop) is what remain which are left after digestion. It is also called stool, and faeces. The normal colour of the stool should be brown with specific consistency. The change in colour or consistency of poop may be indicative of multiple underlying health issues. This article will further go into that.
The normal colour of poop
The brown colour of poop occurs due to the secretion of bile juice from the liver that helps in the digestion of fats. When there is any problem in the small intestine or excess bile secretion, bile secretion will not be metabolised and come out with the stools, like green poop. This can occur due to
- Liver malfunction
- Intestine malfunction
- Pancreas malfunction
- Diarrhoea
What does green stool mean?
The colour of poop can be as diverse as the different colours of the rainbow. The colour of poop is said to be healthy when it is brown. The consistency of the poop also has to be considered for any imbalance in the gut. For this purpose, the Bristol stool chart has been given explaining the consistency of stool²
Bristol stool chart
| Type | Consistency | Condition |
| Type I | Separate hard lumps | Severe constipation |
| Type II | Lumpy and sausage-like | Milf constipation |
| Type III | Sausage shaped with cracks in the surface | Normal |
| Type IV | Like a smooth sausage or a snake | Normal |
| Type V | Soft blobs with clear-cut edges | Lacking fibre |
| Type VI | Mushy consistency with ragged edges | Mild diarrhoea |
| Type VII | Liquid consistency with no solid pieces | Severe diarrhoea |
| S.NO | Colour | Condition |
| 1 | Brown | normal and healthy |
| 2 | Yellow | metabolic problems |
| 3 | Green | irritable bowel syndrome, medical attention is needed |
| 4 | Red | sign of bleeding, medical attention is needed |
| 5 | White/clay | signs of obstruction, medical attention is needed |
| 6 | Black | signs of bleeding and if tarry, consult a physician as soon as possible. |
Stool colour card for infants³
| Type | Colour | Condition |
| Type 1 | Black | Maybe a sign of bleeding |
| Type 2 | White or light grey | Liver problems |
| Type 3 | Red | Medications or a sign of bleeding |
| Type 4 | Green | Normal due to food or medications |
| Type 5 | Yellow | Normal |
| Type 6 | Brown | Normal |
Recent study conducted produced a tool to assess the stool in the form of volume, colour and odour has proved to be much effective than the earlier charts.⁴
Causes of green stool
The colour of green stool can be due to either diet or any disease in gut health. Causes of green poop can be categorized as follows:
- Diet causing green colour
- Blueberries
- Blue or purple vegetables
- Green fruits like avocados, green apples and honeydew melon.
- Matcha ( powdered green tea)
- Hemp seeds
- Pistachios
- Broccoli, Kale, spinach- chlorophyll which makes them green is responsible for the green poop too
- Green colour frosting on cakes
- Drinks with green food dyes
- Medications- some antibiotics can result in bile-filled diarrhoea or change gut flora that gives a green tint to the faeces
- Medical conditions causing green poop
- Liver problems
- Pancreas problems
- Gut problems- Irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, coeliac disease, colonic cancer
- Diarrhea
- Infections such as parasitic, bacterial and, viral infections¹
Infants
Baby’s first poop is usually greenish-black in colour because it is the result of a byproduct of the baby being in the womb for 9 months. This phenomenon is calledmeconium. It is common for the colour to persist for 2-3 days. Anything exceeding 5 days should lead to a doctor’s consultation.
Green stool is common in breastfeeding infants because of the intake of foremilk. It happens when the mother has been swapping between the breasts. It is best to feed the baby with a single breast until the milk completely drains off, which is called rich hind milk. Formula-fed infants also give green poop because they get more iron from their feed.
Babies moving from milk to solid food also show evidence of colour change in their poop. It is absolutely normal because carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin are the most common first food babies consume.⁵
The other reasons for green stool in infants can be explained by
- Diarrhoea
- Lack of normal intestinal flora
- Protein hydrolyse formula, used most commonly in babies, allergic to milk
- Stomach infections
- Medications like iron supplementation
Complications
Althoughgreen poop is not dangerous, it may be associated with underlying health condition. When diarrhoea is causing green poop, it has to be controlled within 2-3 days. If it's not, can cause fluid loss in the body that can prove fatal.
The symptoms you encounter when the condition is severe are as follows
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Blood in stool- black stools
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Nausea
- Fever
- Mucus in the stool
Signs of diarrhoea in infants are similar, in addition to the above, we can also notice
- Dry lips
- Sunken soft spot on the forehead
- No tears while crying
- Urinating less frequently
- Dry, sticky mouth
- Extreme thirst
Prevention
One has to avoid foods with green pigments to prevent green poop. When there is any health condition involved, treatment for such conditions can also help in preventing green poop further in the future.
Maintaining a good lifestyle is an absolute necessitythefor gut health. Having enough fibre in the diet, drinking lots of water, regular exercise, and having an adequate amount of probiotics can improve gut health, thereby avoiding diarrhoea, and gut disorders such as like irritable bowel syndrome.
Treatment and home remedies
Treatment of diarrhoea includes anti-diarrhoea medications like Loperamide. Though they are available over the counter, the actual cause of the condition should be investigated and then medication has to be planned accordingly.
Any underlying health issue leading to green poop, when corrected with the proper treatment, green poop won't appear. Watch out for the food one has been taking.
Other remedies for diarrhoea resulting in green stool can be drinking lots of water, taking required antibiotics, and being under medical supervision. Intake of probiotics can help restore the gut flora, thereby helping prevent green stool. Probiotics basically are fermented food which, facilitateg the growth of helpful microorganism that coordinates health.
Examples of probiotics include:
- Yogurt
- Fermented green peas
- Kim-chi
Vegetables and fruits with probiotic properties
- Banana
- Custard apples
- Watermelon
- Grapefruit
When to seek medical attention
On taking green vegetables or green-coloured food dyes and witnessing a greenish tint in the poop, this is not a big issue. In addition, other gut problems have to be ruled out which had to be done only by a health professional.
In addition to greenish poop, if one experiences nausea, dizziness, and loss of weight it indicates a serious health issue underlying that has to be addressed immediately.
In addition to green faeces, one has to worry about black or dark red tint. This signifies loss of blood which when not addressed, can cause major health issues later on.
Summary
Though green poop is a rare occurrence, there is no need to worry if you encounter such once in a while. If an individual is healthy and has a green tint of poop, he has to observe his food intake, which gives a greenish tint. If the condition persists even if no such food is taken, then it's better to visit a physician.
Babies can also have green baby poop for many reasons enlisted earlier. Parents have to be cautious of all the changes occurring and consult medical professionals when necessary.
References
- 3 Reasons Why Your Poop Is Green. Cleveland Clinic 2021. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/green-poop/ (accessed January 24, 2023).
- Chumpitazi BP, Self MM, Czyzewski DI, Cejka S, Swank PR, Shulman RJ. Bristol Stool Form Scale Reliability and Agreement Decreases When Determining Rome III Stool Form Designations. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2016;28:443–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.12738
- Morinville V, Ahmed N, Ibberson C, Kovacs L, Kaczorowski J, Bryan S, et al. Home-Based Screening for Biliary Atresia Using Infant Stool Color Cards in Canada: Quebec Feasibility Study. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 2016;62:536. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000001042.
- Ohno H, Murakami H, Tanisawa K, Konishi K, Miyachi M. Validity of an observational assessment tool for multifaceted evaluation of faecal condition. Sci Rep 2019;9:3760. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40178-5.
- What’s normal when it comes to baby poop? Mayo Clinic n.d. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/baby-poop/faq-20057971 (accessed January 24, 2023).
