Why do adults have green stools?

Adults also need to be vigilant if their stools are green, because if there are some gastrointestinal functional diseases, it will cause many adverse effects on physical health, especially when the stools are green, most of them are caused by indigestion or intestinal dysfunction.

1. When the stool is acidic, the bile contained in it oxidizes into green when exposed to air. Bilirubin in bile is a yellow pigment that makes feces yellow. After oxidation, bilirubin turns into biliverdin, which makes feces green.

2. In addition, due to the action of Lactobacillus bifidum, the intestines have become acidic, and the stool has been oxidized in the intestines, turning green and being excreted from the body. Therefore, dark green stool is not abnormal, but a normal phenomenon, and there is no need to worry about it. Dark green stools may usually be caused by indigestion. You can adjust your diet and then observe changes in your stool. Green stool that is watery or pasty, has a sour smell, and is foamy is often seen in diseases such as indigestion and intestinal dysfunction.

3. Grayish white: If the color of the stool is white clay-like, it may be jaundice or bile duct obstruction caused by stones, tumors, ascaris, etc., which prevents bilirubin from being excreted with the stool.

4. Black: If you have not eaten pig blood and have not taken any medicine that may cause black stools, black stools are usually caused by upper gastrointestinal bleeding. When the stomach and duodenum bleed, the blood passes through several meters of intestine and undergoes various chemical changes, gradually turning black. Therefore, if there is bleeding in these places and the amount is not large, the stool should be black. Among patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, about half suffer from bleeding due to ulcer disease, most of which are duodenal ulcer bleeding. In addition to ulcer disease, gastritis, cirrhosis combined with ruptured esophageal or gastric varicose veins, and gastric cancer are also common causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

5. Red: Bloody stools are mostly caused by bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract. The lower gastrointestinal tract includes the jejunum, ileum, rectum, and colon. Due to the short distance and less chemical changes, if there is bleeding in these areas, the stool should be red. If the amount of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is heavy, the blood will not have time to stay in the intestines for too long, and the stool will also be red.