Poop Color Meaning: Green, Black, Yellow, Red & White

Poop color meaning often reflects digestion and diet, as poop color, shape, and consistency can vary depending on the foods eaten and how quickly they move through the intestines. While short-term changes are common, unusual colors can also be linked to intestinal irritation or conditions like hepatitis or a gastric ulcer.

In most cases, normal stool is brown and not extremely dark or very pale, and brief changes may happen after ingesting certain foods or supplements. Poop color meaning becomes more important when a new color lasts longer than 3 days, especially when the change is not clearly related to diet.

Stool color can reflect digestive changes, and may be green with rapid movement, black or red from possible bleeding, yellow from fat digestion issues, and pale or white from bile or liver problems. In newborns, stool color shifts frequently as their digestion matures.

Poop colors

Common poop colors that may indicate digestive changes or potential health issues include:

1. Green poop

Green stool often occurs when intestinal transit is too rapid. In this case, bile salts do not have enough time to break down completely before being excreted, resulting in green poop. This can happen during periods of stress, episodes of infectious diarrhea, or flare-ups of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Green vegetables such as spinach, as well as iron supplements, can also lead to dark green stools. Green poop in babies is also common.

What to do: Consider whether you’ve recently eaten green vegetables or are taking a multivitamin that contains iron. If neither of these apply, consult a doctor, especially if the green stool persists for more than 3 days.

2. Black poop

Dark or black stools are usually accompanied by an odor that is much more foul than usual. Dark stools can be a sign of bleeding somewhere along the digestive tract due to an ulcer or esophageal varices. Dark stool can also be a result of iron supplementation.

What to do: If you are not taking supplements or multivitamins with iron, you should see a doctor as soon as possible or go to the emergency room, particularly if you have symptoms like fever, excessive fatigue, or vomiting.

3. Yellow poop

Yellow poop usually indicates trouble digesting fat. It may be linked to conditions that reduce the ability of the intestines to absorb fat, such as celiac disease. It can also occur when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough digestive enzymes, which may signal a problem with this organ.

Yellow diarrhea can also occur with intestinal infections, and may be accompanied by other symptoms like fever, diarrhea, and stomach ache.

What to do: Pay attention to other features of your stool, such as its consistency and shape. If any changes persist for more than three days, see your primary care provider to determine the cause and start appropriate treatment.

4. Red poop

Red stool usually indicates the presence of blood. It often occurs with hemorrhoids but can also result from infections, inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, or more serious conditions like cancer.

What to do: If you notice small amounts or streaks of bright red blood in your stool, you should see your doctor for evaluation.

However, if the entire stool appears bright red or you have active anal bleeding, go to the emergency room right away for diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

5. White poop

Light-colored or white stool may appear when the body has difficulty digesting fat. This can happen in cases of liver disease or when there are problems with the bile ducts.

What to do: It’s important to see your primary care provider or a gastroenterologist, who can order tests such as a CT scan or ultrasound to identify the cause and begin appropriate treatment.

Baby poop

Newborn babies usually have dark green, sticky, and stringy stool known as meconium. During the first days of life, baby poop color becomes gradually lighter and turns yellow, depending on the fat and water content of the milk consumed. Stools typically become more watery and slightly granulated in texture.

During the first 15 days of life, it is normal for babies to have 8 to 10 liquid stools per day, or even every time they nurse. When the mother is constipated, it is possible for the baby it also experience constipation. When they do have a bowel movement, the stool is usually more jelly-like and granulated.

At 6 months, or whenever the baby has a more varied diet, stool will change again in color and consistency. Poop will appear more similar to that of a child or adult in terms of color, consistency, and smell. This is because the baby’s digestive system is developing, and they’re starting to eat foods more similar to those eaten by the rest of the family.