Locations:
The color of you poop can mean a lot of things. Most of the time, your poop color has something to do with something you ate. But sometimes, it can be a sign of an underlying health condition. Contact a healthcare provider if your poop is any other shade than brown, especially if you have other symptoms.
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
While brown poop is ideal, you’ve probably had poop that’s green, yellow or even red. Most of the time, the color of your poop points to something you ate. But this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, colorful poop points to an underlying health condition.
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
It can be OK to see a poop color that’s not brown occasionally or when food is to blame. Once the food is out of your system, your poop should return to brown. But you may not be sure what’s causing your poop to change colors.
The best thing you can do is check in with your healthcare provider. Tell them your symptoms, especially if you have a fever, diarrhea or pain. Poop that’s red or black is often most alarming as it could suggest bleeding (not always).
Advertisement
If your poop doesn’t go back to brown or changes colors often, it could mean something else is going on.
This stool color chart can help you figure out what your poop color may mean:
| Poop Color | Food Causes | Health Causes |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Green leafy vegetables like kale or spinach; green food coloring or dyes | Bacterial infections and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); food passing through your intestines too fast |
| Red | Drinks with red food coloring or foods like tomato juice, beets or cranberries | Rectal bleeding (hemorrhoids, ulcers, fissures) or inflammatory bowel disease |
| Black | Blueberries and dark, leafy vegetables | Upper digestive bleeding, iron supplements or taking bismuth (Pepto-Bismol) |
| Gray, white or clay colored | Milk or dairy products (rare) | Liver, bile, pancreas or problems, gallbladder issues, anti-diarrheal medications |
| Yellow | Carrots and sweet potatoes. Foods high in fat like fried foods | Excess fat in your poop, pancreatitis or celiac disease |
| Poop Color | ||
| Green | ||
| Food Causes | ||
| Green leafy vegetables like kale or spinach; green food coloring or dyes | ||
| Health Causes | ||
| Bacterial infections and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); food passing through your intestines too fast | ||
| Red | ||
| Food Causes | ||
| Drinks with red food coloring or foods like tomato juice, beets or cranberries | ||
| Health Causes | ||
| Rectal bleeding (hemorrhoids, ulcers, fissures) or inflammatory bowel disease | ||
| Black | ||
| Food Causes | ||
| Blueberries and dark, leafy vegetables | ||
| Health Causes | ||
| Upper digestive bleeding, iron supplements or taking bismuth (Pepto-Bismol) | ||
| Gray, white or clay colored | ||
| Food Causes | ||
| Milk or dairy products (rare) | ||
| Health Causes | ||
| Liver, bile, pancreas or problems, gallbladder issues, anti-diarrheal medications | ||
| Yellow | ||
| Food Causes | ||
| Carrots and sweet potatoes. Foods high in fat like fried foods | ||
| Health Causes | ||
| Excess fat in your poop, pancreatitis or celiac disease |
Brown is the ideal poop color for adults. This doesn’t mean you’re not healthy if you have a few random, off-color poops. The shade of brown can also vary. If your poop stays a color that’s not brown, it could be a sign that something is going on.
Healthy poop colors for babies are a little different, though. In this case, normal color can vary depending on what foods they eat and if they drink breastmilk or formula.
When in doubt about poop colors and what’s normal, it’s best to talk to a healthcare provider.
Your poop is normally brown, so why is it bright green today? Seeing a bright array of colors in the toilet can make you panic. The good news is that most of the time, a colorful toilet bowl points to something you ate. Once that food is out of your system, your poop should go back to its normal hue. But when the color lingers for a few days or weeks, it may be a sign of something more serious. Things like infection and diseases can make your poop unusual colors. Contact a healthcare provider if your poop doesn’t go back to brown within a few days.
Advertisement
Last reviewed on 02/11/2025.
Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process.
