When you take a poop, as yucky as this sounds, the best thing to do is to take a look at it to make sure it appears normal. You already know that if your poop is consistently black and tarry, it can be a sign of an ulcer or even colon cancer. You also know that if your poop is consistently pale, then you might have a liver problem.
What about if the poop is yellow? What happens then and what does that mean? Let’s look at the 9 most common reasons for yellow poop so you are aware of it.
Your Diet
If you consistently eat something that is of a certain color then your urine and poop will appear of that color. For instance, if you eat a lot of carrots, you know your skin can turn orange because of the orange pigment. Your urine and poop can appear orange as well. The same goes if you eat yellow foods often.
In fact, if you eat a lot of carrots, your poop can appear yellow. If you eat a lot of foods with turmeric, sweet potatoes, high fat and gluten foods, and foods with yellow coloring, the same will happen. Therefore, it is not a concern.
Stress
Stress can cause your stool to turn yellow and that is because your body is not absorbing all of the nutrients due to the digestive process being sped up. That means when you see that your stool is yellow after being under a lot of stress, then this means you are not digesting your food properly. Stress is something you cannot avoid in life but you can utilize methods such as yoga or meditation to manage it.
Anxiety
Anxiety has the same effect on your body as stress as your digestive system is sped up which is causing your stool to turn yellow. If you are struggling to control your anxiety, you need to see your doctor and possibly go on medication and go for therapy to help you manage it.
Celiac Disease
Do you have trouble digesting gluten? This protein found in rye, wheat, and barley cannot be digested by some people because their immune system attacks the cells in the small intestine. This leads to damage to the intestines and doesn’t allow the body to absorb nutrients. Therefore, yellow stool results, and other symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue go hand-in-hand with celiac disease.
Pancreatic Disorders
If you have conditions of the pancreas such as cystic fibrosis, cancer in the pancreas, chronic pancreatitis, and a blockage of the duct, you’ll have a yellow stool. That is because the pancreas cannot provide enough enzymes for digestion and fat won’t be digested which leads to yellow stools.
Disorders Of The Liver
If you have liver disorders such as hepatitis or cirrhosis, you can have yellow stools as well. That is because the bile salts are removed due to the fact that the liver is not working properly and bile salts in the stool are what cause the poop to be yellow.
Gallbladder Ailments
If you have gallbladder problems such as sludge or gallstones, that also can cause the bile salts to be eliminated. Therefore, that is another cause for the poop turning yellow. Other symptoms of gallbladder problems are pain in the abdomen, nausea, and jaundice.
Gilbert Syndrome
Gilbert Syndrome is a genetic liver ailment and those affected will have periods where their bilirubin levels are extremely high. This can result in poop that is yellow as well as mild jaundice. However, people can go for years without knowing they have the condition because the symptoms can be quite mild.
Giardiasis
Giardiasis is a parasitic infection that is caused by drinking unclean water or contaminated food. Symptoms of this condition are nausea, fever, stomach cramps, yellow diarrhea that is extremely foul-smelling as well as headaches.
This means if you are having yellow stool on a consistent basis and your diet is not high in yellow substances or fat, then you need to get it checked. Even if you are asymptomatic otherwise. Because a consistent yellow stool can result from a serious underlying condition.
