Normal Range of Stool Color and What It Means
The normal stool color can be either light or dark brown but variably between, or even from green and yellow to black, orange and white. Most of the time these color changes are due to diet or other benign causes, but sometimes they can signal a problem or a more serious health condition.
Normal Stool Color Normally the stool is brown in color as a result of digestive activity and breakdown of bilirubin in the intestines. Many shades of brown are usually normal and color may vary with the diet and disease. Treatment of the disease or change of the diet may usually return stool color to normal.
Here is a Stool Color Card
Color I Bright Red
Source: Diet: ingestion of beets or foods colored with red dye.
Diet: Black licorice, blueberries, or blood sausage
Possible Health Issue: Bleeding in the upper GI tract can be due to ulcers or cancers; some medications, side effects of iron supplements, activated charcoal or bismuth subsalicylate-containing medication (such as Pepto-Bismol)
Diet: Green leafy vegetables or foods that have green food coloring.
Health Issue: Food passes through the gut quickly and may cause diarrhea or a dumping syndrome where food in the stomach moves quickly into the small intestine.
Orange
Diet: Carrots, sweet potatoes, and other foods that are high in beta-carotene or food dyes.
Health Issue: Although liver problems may interfere with the production of bile salts that give stool its brown color, liver disease typically causes black or pale gray or putty-colored stool.
Yellow
Diet: Consuming a lot of fat will result in yellow stool.
Health Issue: Celiac disease or giardiasis, an infection of the parasitic kind that can be a cause of greasy, foul-smelling stool White or Tan
Health Issue: A problem with the production of bile could be due to liver disease, biliary cirrhosis, or gallstones. Any of these conditions might impede the bile’s ability to give stool its normal brown color.
When to See a Doctor Although changes in stool color are not usually a matter of concern, see a health professional if you have:
Black, tar-like stools
Blood in stool Persistent changes of the colour of the stool Dizziness or weakness Jaundice- yellowish discoloration on either skin or eyes Vomiting blood Changed stool color may occur under normal conditions, but if there are new or concerning symptoms or if changes remain persistent over some days, consultation by a healthcare provider is favored.
