7 Common Causes For Green Stool

Anxious and confused on seeing green colored stool in the toilet? It is alarming when you see a different colored stool, but most of the times it is just the result of what you ate. If you haven’t eaten something green, then there are some other causes too for the colored stool. Here we have listed the common reasons why your poop can be green in color, but remember, it is better to report changes in stool color to a doctor.

Here Are Some Common Causes For Green Stool:

1. Food Color

Your poop can be green for the simple reason that you have consumed chlorophyll rich food such as kale, broccoli, spinach, basil, parsley, etc. So, consuming dark green vegetables, which have loads of chlorophyll can cause green poop. However, there is nothing harmful, so you can continue eating them. A small serving will not cause green stools, it might be an issue only when you have it in large servings like juices, large salads, smoothies, guacamole etc. Again, when you have consumed foods with green coloring agent or dyes, such as canned green peas, etc, it will leave green tinged poop.

2. Side-Effects Of Medications

If you have been taking strong antibiotics for health reasons, then your poop might be green due to decrease in population of good bacteria in the gut. However, nothing to worry, gut bacterial population can be restored with the intake of yogurt and natural foods once the medication is discontinued. Also, taking iron supplements or nutritional supplements that contain chlorophyll like green tea, spirulina, wheatgrass, chlorella can be a reason for green or dark colored stool.

3. Infection

When foreign bodies invade the system, it wreaks havoc and certain organisms that affect the stomach can result in green stool. For example, salmonella can cause the food to pass through the gut quickly so that there is no enough time for the bile to break down the components completely resulting in green stool.

4. Gastrointestinal Conditions

Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and such GI conditions can cause green stool, as the disease disrupts the ability of your intestine to absorb bile salts. When the absorption of bile does not happen, it appears in stool giving it a dark green tinge. Unnoticed overuse of laxatives due to constipation is yet another reason for green poop.

5. Special Diets, Spicy Food And Alcohol

When a person is on a special diet such as vegan diet or keto diet, the possibilities of green colored poop is high due to the chlorophyll content as mentioned above and excess secretion of bile. Again, when you are on colon cleansing diet, the fast movement of food through the intestine might result in such colored poop. Consumption of excessive alcohol, spicy foods or even coffee act as laxatives and decrease the food transit time resulting in green stool.

6. Pregnancy

A few pregnant women might get green stool in the early weeks of pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins that contain high concentration of iron could be a reason for this. Green stools can also occur during the trimester period or during late pregnancy, when food tends to move rapidly through the intestine.

7. Food Poisoning

When you ingest food that has been contaminated by harmful bacteria like C. botulinum or toxins, the body attempts to eliminate it. The food passes through the digestive tract rather rapidly, so the bile does not get adequate time to completely break down the salts, which results in green diarrhea.