What Does Green Poop Mean? A Doctor Explains

I've never been a fan of fluorescent, brightly colored foods, but I distinctly remember the day that I swore them off completely. My eldest daughter was three years old at the time and called me into the bathroom after she was done. I looked into the toilet and practically had a heart attack: The poop I saw was bright green. I was horrified, convinced she was mortally ill.

No, she wasn't dying and is currently a thriving 15-year-old. She simply hadn't digested the food coloring found in the green cookies she ate the day before.

Even if you're eating well, certain green veggies—like kale, broccoli, and spinach—can cause your poop to be green. That's because they contain chloryphyll, the pigment that gives plants their green hue. On that note, if you take chlorophyll supplements or drink chlorophyll water, it can also turn your stool green.

Some fruits may have an affect as well, namely blueberries. Although, blueberries can also cause stool to look more black than green.

Diarrhea, which is a rapid transit of stool through the large intestine, is another main reason poop can be green in your toilet bowl. This happens because when you have diarrhea, the bile from your gallbladder doesn't have time to break down completely, so it comes out green.

Most cases of diarrhea from food poisoning will pass within 24 to 48 hours, although you can feel out of whack intestinally for a while afterward. It's important to drink lots of water when you have diarrhea so that you don't get dehydrated.

If you've recently taken a course of antibiotics, it could alter the bacteria in your gut. Since those bacteria affect the color of your stool, you may notice some changes as a side effect—namely, your poop may appear green. In order to help restore a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, you may want to incorporate a probiotic supplement like mbg's probiotic+.

There are a few situations in which green poop would be a reason for concern. If you have green poop for longer than 72 hours, it might mean you have C. difficile2—an infection that typically happens after a long course of antibiotics or in someone with immune system dysfunction. It's often characterized by frequent, green, very smelly diarrhea and often has a low-grade fever associated with it.

For the most part, green poop likely isn't something to worry about. However, if you're also experiencing fever, fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, or blood in the stool, you should seek medical assistance. It could be a sign you're dealing with a more serious health condition that needs treatment.