You might already know that some sensations and even smells when pooping are associated with worse bowel health.
But if you’ve always thought checking your loo roll after wiping was a secret quirk of yours, good news ― you’re meant to consider the colour of your poop too, because it can reveal a lot about your health.
According to Penn Medicine, the ideal poo hue can be found on your phone. “Think of the poop emoji. Your poop should be that colour — brown,” experts advise.
If a peek at your work has revealed a different shade, though, you don’t always need to worry ― some colour changes are simply down to what you eat.
Sometimes, though, a shift from brown to green can reveal infection.
Green poo can simply be the result of eating too many veggies, especially leafy greens like spinach and kale, which isn’t really a long-term problem.
And though iron supplements are usually associated with a darker-than-usual stool, they can also cause a green tint, the Mayo Clinic says.
Antibiotics and food dyes can also be to blame.
Harvard Health adds that sometimes diarrhoea is green because it moves too quickly through a person’s digestive system, so the bile doesn’t have time to break down completely.
Diarrhoea can indicate diseases from bacteria like salmonella, giardia or norovirus, Healthline says, or could be due to gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s.
In babies and children, food allergies or intolerances can cause green poo, as well as eating green food.
Yellow stools can indicate malabsorption of fat thanks to conditions like celiac or can happen because of eating very fatty foods.
Red poop can be the result of eating too many beets, or could also reveal haemorrhoids or an anal fissure. Dark red stools indicate older blood which could be as a result of more serious health issues like some cancers or ulcerative colitis.
Black stool can also indicate bleeding higher in the intestines, though it can also be the result of iron supplements.
A clay-coloured or pale stool can be a sign of a bile blockage, sometimes due to liver or pancreas issues.
“If stools are very dark (black) or very pale encourage the person to speak with their GP,” the NHS Sussex’s care guide says.
Meanwhile, you should see your doctor if you notice any changes to your normal bowel habits that last longer than a couple of weeks.
