What Poop Colors Say About Your Health

Reporting for "doody," Dr. Ellie Sattler plunges her hand into a pile of brontosaurus stool to find out what's ailing the sick old beast in Jurassic Park. She could have spared herself the up-close and personal if she had known how to read the colors of caca.

When your body's gastrointestinal tract isn’t functioning correctly, stool colors can tell you what’s going on in your insides and whether you might have bowel problems. Here's a guide:

1. Medium brown is the color of healthy poop. Keep your gastrointestinal system running smoothly with these rules for regularity.
2. Pale, gray, clay-like stool suggests a liver problem. Bile from the liver is what makes stools brown; not enough and you get ashy shades indicating anything from gallstones to hepatitis, pancreatitis to cirrhosis.
3. Black or dull red stool sounds scary, but is often related to food or meds. You may see black after consuming black licorice, blueberries, iron pills, or Pepto-Bismol. (Call your doc if you see tarry black poop, which can be a sign of bleeding in the upper intestines or even the stomach.) And red? That may come from beets and tomatoes.
4. Green stools aren't just for St. Patrick's Day, although they can be from celebratory beer (it's the green dye). Greenies can also come from eating lots of green vegetables or taking iron or certain medications.
5. Bloody or maroon/red poop is most often caused by hemorrhoids but it can also be from intestinal bleeding, so call your doc.

If you’re worried about any other colors you're dropping, keep a 3- to 7-day record and share the shades with your doctor. Find out what poop colors might indicate for babies.

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