What Does Your Stool Color Mean?
What's normal? What's not? Here's everything you
need to know about the various shades of stool.
Brown
Green
Yellow
Black
Red
White
Brown
The various shades of brown are normal.
X
Green
May signify bile in the GI tract, which
is usually nothing to worry about.
X
Yellow
May signify bile in the GI tract, which
is usually nothing to worry about.
X
Black
Also described as tarry-looking. May signify bleeding in the GI tract.* Contact your doctor
as soon as possible to address the issue.
X
*Some medications, such as iron pills and bismuth-
containing antacids, can make your stool look black.
Red
May signify bleeding in the GI tract.* Contact your doctor as soon as possible to address the issue.
*Some foods, such as beets, red wine and spicy cheese puffs, can bring a shade of red to your stool and be mistaken for bloody stool.
X
White
Also described as pale. May signify a problem in the pancreas, gallbladder or biliary tract. Contact your doctor to diagnose and address the issue.
X
