Though a green stool color is not a serious health ailment, a considerable thought must be given to underlying digestive troubles that the individual is facing. In order to learn about the causes of green stool in adults, this article is a must read.
Have you ever been in comfortable company and spoken about the color of stool? On an honest note, not many people appreciate talking openly about their bowel movement sessions. It, normally, is a topic that is shunned and detested, especially on the dinner tables! However, it should be borne in mind that the stool color in adults can cause involuntary worry.
► The color and the subsequent consistency of stools depends on various factors. While white or black stools could pose to be a cause of concern, green stool should not be a cause of much turmoil, if you notice it once in a while. This could be due to the medication one is on, or may also be due to a diet full of green leafy vegetables, that leads to a green-colored excreta.◄
Why Is the Stool Color Green?
In order to comprehend why the stool color in adults, sometimes changes to green, one needs to focus on how the digestive system functions. The liver is responsible for producing bile. Bile is a fluid that aids in fat absorption and fat-soluble vitamins. The bile once secreted, divulges into the small intestine or in the bladder. Bile plays a major role in deciding the color of the stool and the consistency as well. The stool being thick, slim or watery, and the color being white, brown or green, depends upon the way the bile fluid functions and gets secreted. In a normal healthy stool, the bile color changes from green, progressing to yellow and finally brown. Thus, it could be concluded that the cause of green poop in adults may be due to the fact that the feces has not passed through the intestine at a normal pace, hence leaving the color unchanged. This is a malfunction of the bowel movement and is termed decreased bowel transit. Another factor contributing to the causes of green stool is the presence of mucus in the intestine. This may cause its color and the consistency to change.
Causes
Green stool is caused due to a number of factors. Medication can also be a significant factor that contributes to the excreta being green. Once the medication is terminated, the color regains normalcy.
► Supplements
Algae plays a potent role in causing this condition as they consist essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that are dedicated to improving the defense mechanisms, thereby helping one to feel healthy. Algae supplements when administered are known to be high in fiber content, due to which the stools may appear green. It could also be caused due to certain medications, such as iron supplements that change the color of stool drastically. Iron supplements are multivitamins having a high iron content, or even the inclusion of foods that are rich in iron, may cause green stool due to the body’s incapability of absorbing excess iron. The body supplements the need by introducing iron salts into the system due to which its color may turn green.
► Diet
If you have the tendency to include a significant amount of green leafy in your daily diet plan, such as spinach, lettuce, and broccoli, it can result in green feces in adults. If you are a regular consumer of beet in your salads, you may observe a stool color that ranges from pink to dark red. Addition of food colors and dyes may also cause the excreta to turn green.
► Malabsorption
A major defect in the digestive system may cause malabsorption of food particle consisting essential nutrients in the intestinal tract. Digestive problems also include constipation and diarrhea. An inadequate fat breakdown or an individual who endures lactose intolerance may encounter this condition. Lactose intolerance may also lead to an individual having a bout of diarrhea.
► Bacteria
Bacteria e.coli and bacteria salmonella may cause green stool; however, the cases detected with the aforementioned causes are rare. You may be diagnosed with salmonella poisoning that is transferred into the system, through consumption of non-palatable dairy products or consuming meats that are not well cooked and remain more than partially raw. The presence of bacteria may cause food poisoning due to which symptoms of diarrhea may surface. Thus, green-colored feces could reflect food poisoning as a major cause.
► Eating Disorders
Consumption of laxatives in excess may cause the stool color to turn green as laxatives aim at cleansing the system of toxicities. Thus, the toxins are cleared as laxatives consist a high dosage of fiber content and roughage, also helping in smooth bowel movement. Due to this, diarrhea accompanied with soft, green-colored stool is the result.
► Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is caused due to gluten or wheat intolerance in which the lining of the small intestinal tract cannot tolerate the presence of gluten, hence digestion gets severely affected. This, in turn leads to diarrhea — stool that has a greenish-blue color which also smells nasty.
► Intestinal Disorders
Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Pseudomembranous Colitis, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome are intestinal disorders. Also called ileitis or enteritis, crohn’s disease causes inflammation of the ileum due to which there is pain and discomfort in the lower sections of the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease can lead to the intestines becoming sensitive and sore due to diarrhea. Ulcerative colitis is caused due to the inflammation of the intestinal lining. The intestinal lining is punctuated with ulcers, either scattered throughout or in the form of clusters. The large intestine — when affected by the disorder — may pose symptoms of diarrhea with stools being loose and slim in consistency also making the stool color green. Pseudomembranous colitis is the inflammation of the colon when an individual is administered with antibiotics. It may also be caused due to the overgrowth of the bacterium called C. difficile. These intestinal disorders may cause the stool to turn green in color with the consistency being very loose.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Lab diagnosis, such as conducting blood tests, X-ray, and study of the stool culture, helps in understanding the reason behind green stool in children and adults. A colonoscopy is also helpful, where stool culture is examined through which results are derived.
Treatment, in case of a severe condition, will depend on the actual cause of green excreta. However, before you decide to visit the doctor, ensure …
► An increase in the daily fluid consumption which is thereby helpful, in order to reduce the frequency of constipation.
► Exercise well, so that you flush out the wastes from the body.
► Another method is to follow a colon cleanse juice diet that aids in extracting the toxicities from the system. A soup and juice diet, such as the Master cleanse or the Lemonade juice diet adhered to, for a weak may help you in regaining the normal stool color as the colon is cleansed thoroughly.
► Sip lemonade juice, with cayenne pepper sprinkled and a teaspoon of maple syrup drained into the concocting glass to derive benefits.
Hopefully, this article has sufficed your understanding on why the stool color may appear green in adults.
Disclaimer: The article published herein, is meant to accomplish pedagogical purposes only. The recommendations mentioned hereby may not be generically applicable. The information, by no means, intends to supplant the diagnosis and advice imparted by the medical practitioner.
