Why is my poop green and what does it mean?

SOMETIMES the colour of your poop may looks a bit off.

It’s true that poops can come in all different shapes, sizes and colours – some better than others.

This can be down to several factors including your diet and lifestyle.

In fact, poop can say a lot about our health. It may indicate you need to tweak your diet, or even signify a killer disease – bowel cancer.

Why is my poop green?

Even wondered why your poop has turned a weird greenish shade?

But you’re not alone – this is one of the most Googled questions in Britain.

Your poop may be green because you include lots of greens in your diet, such as kale, broccoli and spinach.

Green poop can also be a result of eating blue foods, like the superfood blueberries, and purple and black foods.

Greenish poop is also caused by bile, which is a sign that your liver and pancreas are working well.

But on a more serious note, green poo may signify you have a bacterial infection.

If you feel unwell and have diarrhoea, it may be a bug in your gut like salmonella, giardia, or norovirus.

Because these bugs cause diarrhoea, your poop passes too fast through your intestines for bile to break it down properly, and turn it brown.

Medications can also turn your faeces green, including some antibiotics, contraceptives, and iron supplements.

Is green poop bad?

No, it’s not a big deal on its own.

Green poo often shows that you are eating plenty of green vegetables, so is a good sign.

Your liver produces bile to aid digestion, and sometimes this can make your stools greenish. It’s usually not a problem, just a healthy system.

But a drastic change in your bowel habits could indicate something more serious.

You should seek medical advice if:

• You are feeling unwell and your poo has become green but you have not suddenly started on a green veg blow out.
• The consistency of your number twos has changed along with it becoming green, and you aren’t scoffing loads of greens.
• You haven’t made any dietary changes and your usually brownish poo is suddenly green.
• Your stools have become green after a recent bone marrow transplant, because it can indicate rejection.

How do I stop green poop?

This depends on what is making it green in the first place, but here are some things to consider:

1. Eat a balanced diet, of which green vegetables are a part, alongside healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

2. Help your liver and gallbladder by eating fermented or sour foods like kimchi and lemons.

3. Boost your gut bacteria, which contribute their own waste to yours to generate its brown colour, by taking a probiotic.

What colour should poop be?

Dr Rhianna McClymont, lead GP at Livi said stools can be any shade from brown to purple.

She said: “Beetroot, for instance, can cause a red-pink tinge, which might be quite concerning at first glance.”

Some causes of coloured stool are more serious.

Red or black in poop can signify bleeding, which may be related to haemorrhoids or bowel cancer.

Pale or “clay-coloured” poop is a warning sign the liver, gallbladder or pancrease is not working well, and therefore you should see a doctor.

Hepatitis, liver disease and some cancers can cause pale poop.