Tom Earnshaw
It's somewhat of an unspoken rule that as a society, we don't openly talk about toilet habits. But in the interests of your health, it's something you should be checking out, especially if you notice something that you think looks a little off.
Yep, we're talking about going for a number two. And what that means if the colour of your poo is green.
It's something that people want to know the answers to on a daily basis, with thousands of people taking to Google to get answers to the question 'why is my poop green?'.
As with many things relating to your health, it could be completely harmless. But it could also be a sign of something a lot more serious that needs checking out by a doctor.
Advert
When it comes to having green stool, the most common explanation for this is a big change in your diet and the food you're consuming on a daily basis.
A lot of people who experience a colour change will do so because of them quite literally eating more green food.
We're talking about broccoli, kale, spinach, peas, asparagus, and more.
Advert
Within these dark green foods is something called chlorophyll which, if you paid attention back to your school biology classes, is the chemical that gives plants the ability to make energy from sunlight.
Other strongly coloured foods can also turn your poop a green colour.
So if you've been eating more food that is blue or purple, don't get too alarmed.
The likes of blueberries, smoothies, fizzy drinks, food colouring in icing, and ice pops are among the kinds of food that could cause this discolouring.
Advert
According to UK charity Guts UK, you can get green poo if you're on a course of antibiotics to treat illness.
And when it comes to being ill, having a gastrointestinal (GI) illness could also be the cause. If you have such an infection, you'll also probably notice you're going to the toilet more often.
Crohn's disease is among the GI illnesses that could be causing the discolouring. This causes significant inflammation in your digestive tract, leading to diarrhoea, stomach aches and cramps, and even blood in your poo.
Advert
Those suffering from celiac disease (gluten intolerance) can also experience green poop as a side effect of the illness.
A green-tinged stool can be caused by bacteria such as salmonella, norovirus, and even a parasite known as giardia.
They cause your guts to empty quicker than normal, which is where the discolouring comes from.
Advert
For some, they may have undiagnosed liver or gal bladder disease.
Guts UK adds: "Green poo can also be caused by a condition called bile acid diarrhoea, where bile stays in the stools without being reabsorbed, and hence discolours the poo.
"This can occur if you have liver or gall bladder disease, or if you have had bowel surgery or disorders of the small intestine."
Howard E. LeWine, Chief Medical Editor at Harvard Health Publishing, said: "Intermittent green stool in someone who otherwise feels fine is usually related to eating dark green vegetables, such as spinach and kale.
"Another reason for green poop is the rapid passage of green bile from the small intestine when a person has diarrhoea.
"Medications, including bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol), iron supplements, and some antibiotics, may also result in greenish colored stool."