Why did my stool turn yellow? 5 common reasons
Should I be worried about this symptom?
The condition of your stool can tell you a lot about the health of your digestive system. For example, black feces can be the result of eating certain foods or medications. This is reported by MigNews with reference to Home For You. But what about yellow? Why did your stool turn yellow?
Yellow poop can be caused by a variety of factors, from an underlying health condition to certain lifestyle changes. But before you panic, know that changing poop color is quite common. And it's nothing to worry about.
Why does your poop change color?
Although most people expect feces to be brown, their color can be affected by factors such as diet, transit time (i.e., the speed at which food and waste pass through the digestive tract), bile production (i.e., a fluid produced by the liver to aid in digestion), and the presence of certain types of infections or medical conditions.
This was told to Well+Good by gastroenterologist Sarah Robbins. The “normal” brown color is due to bile pigments, which change color as they move through the intestines.
But poop can also come in other colors, such as red, black, green, clay, and yellow. Here's what each one means:
- Red poop can be the result of eating beets, cherries, a large serving of red fruit, or red food coloring. It can also indicate bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can be the result of conditions such as hemorrhoids (swollen veins in or around the anus), diverticulosis (abnormal pouches in the intestinal wall), or colon cancer.
- Black poop can be caused by iron supplements, Pepto-Bismol, or dark foods, but it can also signal upper GI bleeding caused by conditions like ulcers.
- Green stool is often caused by leafy greens, food coloring, or rapid bile transit through the intestines. Rapid bile transit can be caused by a variety of conditions, including diarrhea, infections, or IBS.
- Pale or clay-colored stools indicate a lack of bile flow. This can occur with liver disease, bile duct blockage, or pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
What does yellow stool mean?
So what to do about yellow poop? Dr. Robbins says yellow poop is often caused by fat malabsorption, rapid intestinal transit, or problems with bile salts (the main organic substance in bile). “The yellow color of bile is due to bilirubin, which is a pigment formed when heme in red blood cells breaks down,” she adds.
When bile enters the intestines, it turns brown, says Dr. Robbins. However, if bile production or flow is impaired, stool can appear yellow due to excess bilirubin or improper fat absorption.
Why stool turned yellow: malabsorption
“If fat isn’t digested in the gut, it can interfere with the breakdown of bilirubin,” says Dr. Robbins. “This can lead to yellow stools.” More specifically, it can lead to yellow, fatty, foul-smelling stools, also known as steatorrhea. This can be caused by several conditions, including:
- Celiac disease (an autoimmune disease that causes intestinal damage by gluten).
- Chronic pancreatitis (chronic inflammation of the pancreas).
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (a condition in which the pancreas does not produce enough enzymes to properly digest food).
Why the stool turned yellow: problems with the liver or gallbladder
Bile helps break down fats and gives poop its characteristic brown color. However, when bile production or flow is reduced due to conditions like hepatitis, bile duct obstruction, or gallbladder disease, your poop can appear yellow or pale, says Dr. Robbins. With these conditions, you're likely to have other symptoms, like fatigue, fever, nausea, or vomiting. So let your doctor know if you're experiencing any issues along with yellow poop.
Why stool turned yellow: infections
Sometimes, some intestinal infections can cause diarrhea, which moves quickly through the intestines and results in yellow stools.
The most common infections that can cause this side effect include giardia (an infection caused by a parasite) and norovirus (a highly contagious viral infection). Both can also cause nausea and vomiting, fever, and fatigue. And they may require prescription medications to treat them.
Why stool turned yellow: certain foods
“A large amount of fatty or processed foods, such as turmeric, carrots, or artificial food coloring, can sometimes cause yellow stools,” says Dr. Robbins. This discoloration is likely to be more subtle than other causes and usually doesn’t cause any other gut symptoms.
Why the stool turned yellow: rapid intestinal transit
“If bile doesn’t have time to break down, the excess bilirubin can cause yellow stools,” explains Dr. Robbins. Rapid intestinal transit, or the rapid movement of waste through the intestines, can be caused by many things. For example, stress, anxiety, taking certain medications (such as antibiotics or laxatives), IBS, or inflammatory bowel disease.
So should you be concerned if your poop is yellow? In most cases, no. “As a gastroenterologist, I rarely worry about yellow poop,” says Dr. Robbins. “Most of the time, it’s temporary, diet-related, or caused by harmless changes in bowel motility, rather than a serious underlying condition.”
How to treat and prevent yellow stools
Even though yellow stools aren't a medical emergency, you may still want to consider how to prevent or treat them if they happen to you. Here are some strategies Dr. Robbins recommends for staying healthy:
- Change your diet. If dietary fat is the main cause of yellow stool, try to reduce the amount of fatty foods you eat (i.e. foods high in saturated and trans fats). Instead, focus on foods rich in fiber, which aids digestion and binds with bile.
- Consider enzymes and other treatments. If true fat malabsorption is suspected (such as pancreatic insufficiency), your doctor may recommend pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). This therapy involves taking capsules daily to replace enzymes in the pancreas and improve overall pancreatic function.
- Get a medical exam. If you suspect you have gallbladder or liver problems, you should get a medical exam. Your doctor can use MRI scans, stool tests, and other diagnostic tests to determine if you need medication or surgery to remove your gallbladder or treat your liver problems.
- Treat intestinal infections. If Giardia or another viral infection is suspected, a stool test and targeted treatment, such as antibiotics or antiparasitic drugs (i.e., medications that kill parasites), may be necessary.
- Try probiotics. If an infection is causing your stool to turn yellow, probiotics can help restore the balance of gut bacteria after the infection clears up.
When to see a doctor
While yellow stools are usually not a cause for concern, Dr. Robbins recommends seeing a doctor if you experience any of the following problems:
- Persistent yellow stools lasting more than 2-4 weeks.
- Fatty, foul-smelling feces accompanied by unintentional weight loss (indicating fat malabsorption).
- Yellow stools accompanied by jaundice (a condition where the skin takes on a yellowish tinge), dark urine, or pale/clay-like stools. This indicates liver or gallbladder disease.
- Yellow stools that are accompanied by severe abdominal pain, vomiting, or other body-wide symptoms such as fatigue or fever.
Dr. Robbins emphasizes that if your stool is pale, clay-colored, or yellow, along with dark urine or jaundice, you should seek medical attention immediately. This could be a sign of a more serious condition, such as a liver or gallbladder problem.
Conclusion? In most cases, yellow stools are temporary, related to diet or changes in bowel habits. It is not a sign of a serious illness. If you do not have symptoms similar to those listed above, rest assured that adjusting your diet will usually resolve the problem.
Have you noticed that your poop has started to smell very unpleasant? What is the reason for this? Read about the reasons in this article.