Why Is My Poop Green? 12 Possible Reasons!

Nasty as it is to talk about, concerns are huge. We all take a dump, but there is always something disconcerting when the poop goes out in Poppin color! You do not feel like Dumbledore who has got back his magical powers. If you see color in your crap, you should put in some thought, right?

Poop is an indicator of good health, especially gut health. We all agree! In the Indian system of Ayurveda, shodhana (elimination of wastes) is of utmost importance. The stomach is cleansed before starting any Ayurvedic treatment regimen, in order to make sure that the ingredients in the medicines get absorbed and assimilated into the body faster. Before starting, the Ayurveda massage, the stomach is cleaned completely and then only the massage therapy is done.

Why is my poop green? Generally, the poop is brown as it contains dead red blood cells and water from the bacteria in the bowels. The bile is usually a yellow-green combo in color, but gut bacteria change its color.

Why Is My Poop Green? Causes & Treatment!

Normally the poop is brown-colored due to the liver releasing bile salts into it. But when the poop turns green for some reason, it is taken seriously. Poop could turn green due to certain foods, medications, medical conditions, pathogens, or bacterial infections.

Greens

Before you panic and search, ‘why is my poop green?’, think about what you put in your mouth the previous day.

A common reason for green poop is the diet. Foods like kale, broccoli, hemp seeds, matcha (green tea powder), pistachios, green fruits like green apples, avocados (especially if taken in the juice form), spinach, blueberries, and other dark green veggies can cause green poop. Generally, green vegetables do not change the color of the poop. But if you are into eating a lot of green leafy veggies in large portions, then that could be the number one reason why your poop is green.

The green powder supplements that contain chlorophyll can also turn your poop as green as grass. Eating them or a lot of them may create the situation, but it should not stop you from eating your greens.

This should not deter you from eating green vegetables as they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and a truckload of fiber.

Why Is My Poop Green? Food Coloring Agents

Dishes that contain food coloring when not processed properly in the gut also can make you wonder why your poop is green. The food coloring that brings out green poop need not be necessarily green. It may be yellow, blue, or black dyes which may lead to green poop. This can be well validated from the example of the Burger King incident when all those who had the Halloween Whopper which contained a black bun noticed that their poop was green after eating it. Taking highly pigmented cookies, pastries or ice creams can also give you green poop. In that case, you may want to cut down on your input of processed foods.

Food Sensitivities

Do you have food sensitivities that can range from intolerances at the lower end to full-blown allergies at the other end of the spectrum? Ingesting certain foods may trigger unwelcome responses in the body, like diarrhea or green poop because of undigested bile.

Anal Fissures

If you are worried and asking why is my poop green? Anal fissures can be one reason. They are micro tears in the tissue lining of the anus. This comes up with the passing of hard poop, diarrhea, or inflammatory bowel syndrome. If it is an anal fissure that developed due to chronic diarrhea, then you may notice green poop, though more commonly red.

Gastrointestinal Disease

Cohen’s disease is a bowel disease that brings about inflammation in the digestive tract. If one has any gastrointestinal condition or Cohen’s disease, bile moves quickly through the intestines, causing green poop. In Celiac disease characterized by gas, bloating, stomach pain, and loose motion due to intolerance to gluten, green stools are also a possibility. Other GI conditions like ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and overuse of laxatives can cause rapid bile movement through the intestines, which could result in green poop. As per this article, why is my poop green? Lack of bile in the stools will also cause you to have green poop.

Health Condition

‘Turning green’ means showing signs of disease in the literary world. The same goes for poop. If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or if your gallbladder has been removed, recently, you may notice green in your do-do(1). The removal of the gall bladder causes more bile to be sent into your digestive tract, as there is no place else to store the bile, causing you to have a verdant dash of green poop in the toilet.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D)or IBS- M which stands for a mix of both diarrhea and constipation with other symptoms triggered by stress, foods like wheat, dairy, citrus, or hormonal changes cause flare-ups. Once diagnosed with IBS-D or IBS- M, you do not have to be overwhelmed with the once-in-a-while green poop. In Irritable Bowel Syndrome, when the poop is forced to rush through the body too quickly it may end up in green diarrhea.

Liver Problem

The liver, gallbladder, and GI systems are interconnected. Hence, when one is upset, the entire system goes for a toss. As the bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, any gallbladder or liver problem can be heralded by green poop.

Birth Control Shots

Did you have one recently? Then look nowhere else to ask, ‘ why is my poop green?’ Birth control shots also are known to change your poop color. They may be the reason why your poop is green. Depo- Provera (medroxyprogesterone) has been marked as one with green poop as its sidekick. Experts state that anything that tampers with the hormones can affect the liver and bile as well. If the input has not been broken down and assimilated properly, it would definitely bring out Hulk’s hues poop.

Bacteria

Viral and bacterial infections can also make you worry, ‘why my poop is green!’ Though the stomach lodges millions of healthy bacteria, other viral and bacterial infections can turn your stomach upside down. Salmonella which is the causal agent of food poisoning, especially when it comes to packaged foods, norovirus, coliform, and giardia which is a water parasite- all cause the poop to be pushed out quicker than the normal pace, and this could also a reason why you have green poop.

According to the article, why is my poop green? Salmonella is one infection that can make your poop go green. The symptoms can take as little as six hours to as long as six days to show up after eating contaminated food or drink. E-coli is another one which will show up after three or four days after consuming the contaminated food or drink. Green poop, severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting are the other symptoms.

Norovirus is easily spread between people and has the symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting along with green poop. 

Giardia(2) is known as a water parasite, but it is found in soil or food that has been contaminated by the poop of infected people or animals. These infections can bring about symptoms like diarrhea, dehydration gas, stomach cramps, vomiting, and nausea- not to mention green poop. The infection is known to cause foul-smelling and floating green-colored poop.

COVID-19

Covid-19 can cause green stools! If infected with COVID-19, the whole system goes for a toss and when the fats are not broken down properly and when bile shows up in your poop, it can cause diarrhea to appear green.

Why Is My Poop Green? – Medications

Some medicines and supplements cause the disintegration of pigments that turn the stool brown. Say iron supplements. Iron supplements are known for their accompanying side effects of nausea, constipation, and black or green stools that are darker in the green tinge. Medicines like antibiotics in high doses also have the ability to create a successful extinction of normal gut bacteria. Thus, the brown staining bacteria would get reduced. Probiotics in the natural form like yogurt, and kombucha, or in the readymade form like probiotic supplements or products like probiotic Ice Cream will help in restoring the normal gut bacteria.

why is my poop green when I take certain medicines? medicine like the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, can cause green poop. No one could give a foolproof explanation as to why this happens. But it is concluded that these drugs do change the way the food is digested by the patient, which leads to the green pigment showing up in the poop. Other supplements and messes that can cause green poop include rhubarb, spirulina, chlorella, Zoloft, Nyquil, Lexapro, and Metformin.

Pregnancy

It is common for pregnant women to pass green poop. There is a variety of reasons including intestinal ailments, prenatal vitamins, mess like antibiotics, etc, and diet changes, which pregnant women are advised to follow.

Why Is My Poop Green While My Stomach Hurts?

Another question that might come up is when there is a stomach ache accompanying green poop. Surely you would be concerned. Usually, it is antibiotic-induced diarrhea, due to the alteration of the contents of the stool, which causes the changing of the color of the poop to green. It is in such cases that the stomach will hurt as well. This will clear up in a few days after you complete the course of antibiotics.

Why Is My Poop Green And Watery? 

Bacterial infections can cause the stools to change color due to the change in the normal flora in the gut. Bacteria like salmonella and norovirus may loosen up the poop and increase its frequency. You may have a brush with salmonella on unwashed vegetables, fruits, raw poultry, egg, beef, and chicken. Norovirus can be spread through contaminated water, food, surfaces, or persons. Here, as the poop moves faster and does not let bile break it down, your poop will look greenish instead of brown.

When Is Green Poop A Cause Of Concern?

Green poop is not dangerous as such and it could be your food, medicines, infections, or other innocuous health conditions. But it definitely is a cause of concern if it accompanies fever, nausea, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Those are instances where you have to take make a visit to the doctor. Other colors like red poop signal rectal bleeding, ulcers, hemorrhoids, and, in the worst case, cancer.

Blackish poop indicates bleeding or the use of iron tablets, while yellowish-green poop points to liver diseases. If you are searching for reasons Why is my poop green? It can be a signal of malabsorption syndrome, low levels of potassium, dehydration, malnutrition, etc. Occasional green poop is not alarming, but frequent one needs medical attention if it is not due to what you ingested.

What Should I Do If My Poop Is Green?

First, check if this is a consistent thing- like you see green poop more often than you should not. See if the poop goes green only after that cup of matcha, or the glass of green juice, or the bowl full of green salad. If none of these factors are in you should search for the real reason- medicines, allergies, health conditions, etc. But if you have not been diagnosed with any health condition, then the green poop plus the following symptoms should raise a red flag regarding your health.

• Vomiting

• Weight loss

• Abdominal pain

• Fever

• Blood in stool

• Cramping

In such an instance, you should consult a healthcare practitioner for a proper diagnosis of your condition and avail the right treatment. They may conduct x- rays, colonoscopies, blood tests, stool cultures, and analysis to rule out conditions that brought about the green pooping. The treatment will address the underlying condition.

How Can We Prevent Green Poop?

A diet diary and reviewing poop changes will help to identify the causal factor behind the green poop. Once the culprit is identified, you can shun it or reduce the usage or at least be comforted that you found out the dietary reason for green poop.

Secondly, you should review your medication like birth control pills, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, iron supplements, etc. As per the article ‘why is my poop green’, green poop caused by diarrhea needs rest, hydration, and medicines. You could do home remedies with apple cider vinegar, or make a mix of a quarter spoon of lime juice and one tablespoon of virgin olive oil- the mix which is known to stimulate bile production in the body. You need to become proactive by going to a doctor only when the green poop is a regular thing.

Be your own doc and listen to your body and check your dietary inputs, so that you know that you can heal yourself with the aid of medicine. Don’t get poopy pants once you see green in your crap. Opt for healthy living and stay positive…always ♥️