Diet gun

The shape, color, and odor of stool are diagnostic clues for digestive system diseases. The composition of stool, which is done in a laboratory, is also an excellent diagnostic tool for digestive system diseases.

Stool can also be affected by the foods we eat without there being any problem in our digestive system. It’s just that many foods have pigments that are not absorbed by the body and become visible in the stool.

Below are various stool colors and possible foods that create them.

1. Green color stools

Green leafy vegetables can give a slight green color to stool. Also, various green food dyes that are commonly used in granitas, drinks, or ice cream can also give this color to stool.

In case of possible diarrhea, we may have green stools (without having consumed green vegetables) because bilirubin does not have time to break down due to the rapid transport of feces from the gastrointestinal tract.

2. Black stools

Usually, iron supplements can cause black stools because no iron supplement can be completely absorbed by the body, resulting in them being excreted with the stool, creating a black color in them.

Black licorice is also likely to cause black stools.

If we do not take iron supplements and have black stools, then we should seek emergency medical help because we may have bleeding in the upper digestive system (esophagus, stomach or small intestine).

3. Red or crimson stools

Red or crimson stools can be caused by foods with red pigments such as beets, tomatoes, cranberries, red jellies and red drinks (usually cocktails, not red beer).

If we have not consumed any of the above then we should seek emergency medical help because we may have some bleeding in the lower digestive system (perhaps in the small intestine, more likely in the large intestine, rectum, or anus or a hemorrhoid that is recurring).

4. Yellow stools, possibly fatty, with a bad smell or stools that float

We may have gluten intolerance, so we should not consume foods that contain gluten (wheat, rye, barley, semolina, couscous, baked goods, pasta, breakfast cereals, ready-made soups, etc.) until we can confirm it in the laboratory and adjust our diet accordingly.

Celiac disease can create this type of stool and we need to seek medical help.

5. White stools

White stools like putty are usually caused by the absence of bile in the stool or the intake of bismuth (administered in chronic gastritis or duodenal ulcer). The presence of white stools may also be due to liver or pancreatic diseases and are not related to the intake of a specific food.

Stool odor

The strongly unpleasant odor of stool can be related to our diet and the intestinal flora that we have in our intestines.

Diarrhea can create very smelly stools, as can malabsorption syndromes, lactose intolerance, and possible food allergies.

Gastroenteritis can also create strongly smelly stools, as can the consumption of strong multivitamin preparations, antibiotics, or other medications.

In addition to the odor and color of the stool, if the shape, form, and consistency of the stool changes from usual, we should consult a gastroenterologist for a clinical examination that will give us the answers to these changes, and possible medication that will help us maintain our health.