When poop is green, it usually means one of the following:
- Eating a lot of green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, broccoli) or foods with green or blue food coloring can color the stool green due to chlorophyll or dye pigments.
- Rapid transit of stool through the intestines, as with diarrhea, causes bile (which is greenish-yellow) not to be fully broken down, resulting in green stool.
- Certain medications like antibiotics, iron supplements, or antacids can affect gut bacteria or digestion and cause green stool.
- Infections with bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli, viral infections like norovirus, or parasites can cause green diarrhea.
- Changes in bile flow, such as after gallbladder removal, can alter stool color temporarily.
If green stool occurs occasionally without other symptoms, it is usually harmless and related to diet. But if it is persistent or accompanied by abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, vomiting, or blood in stool, it may require medical evaluation.
