Stomach Problems According to Poop Colors

It's not a subject that is brought up in many conversations but the color of your poop can help you understand when it's important to see a doctor or when you just need to make alterations to your diet. Most people do not bother to look at the color of their stools but ensuring your bowels are working properly and your bowel movements are a healthy normal color can save you aggravation and alert you to underlying medical conditions.

Understand that food's can and will alter the color of your bowel movements. It's important to evaluate the foods you have eaten and to make slight changes to see if the food is the culprit of abnormal stool colors of if there is a problem that needs medical attention.

Orange Stools: Certain foods or medication that is high in beta carotene can cause orange stools. These foods would include items such as sweet potatoes and carrots, but they are not limited in color as foods such as spinach and turnip greens also contain high levels of beta carotene that can lead to orange bowel movements. Another cause for orange stool is bile gland obstruction or little exposure to bile salts. If the stool is moving quickly through the system the exposure to the amount of bile salt is reduced.

Yellow Stools: Can be caused by the parasitic infection giardia or by various digestive system malfunctions. One seriously problem that causes yellow stools is malabsorption. When your body can no longer properly process fats and food the excessive fats are pushed through the intestines quickly leading your stools yellow. Yellow stools can also be an indicator to pancreatic cancer.

Black or Dark Red Stools: Stools that carry a dark red or black color are an indication of blood in the upper gastric intestinal tract. This would include the top part o the small intestines known as the duodenum, stomach or the esophagus. Bleeding could be a result of medicine irritation, ulcers, gastritis, and trauma, lack of blood flow, esophageal variances and vascular malformations. It's important also to note if you are taking medications with bismuth as this will lead to the appearance of black stools.

Bright Red or Maroon Stools: Brighter red colored stools are an indication of fresh blood. When stools are colored red or maroon this is an indication with the lower gastric intestinal region. The brighter the color of red usually is an indicator of the location being lower. For instance maroon colored stools can indicate irritable bowel syndrome, polyps, bleeding ulcers, intestinal infection and diverticulitis while a bright red stool can indicate anal fissures or hemorrhoids.

Clay Stools: Clay stool is an indication that the bile flow has been interrupted. Clay stool can indicate a problem such as gallbladder disorders, hepatitis or mal-absorption.

Green Stool: If the stool is passing through the intestines at a quicker rate the bile does not have time to break down the stool to turn it to a natural brown color. It is also highly likely foods ingested can cause stools to turn green, also the consumption of vitamins that contain chlorophyll.

Source:

WebMD: The Scoop on Poop

Mayo Clinic: Stool Color: When to Worry

MedicineNet: Stool Color & Texture Changes