When bilirubin and bile are secreted in the small intestine during digestion, they ultimately turn the poop brown.
This physiological process is also the reason why green is the second most common poop color.
Eating a lot of tomato juice, beets or red gelatin or drinking a lot of energy drinks with red dyes could make poop red, Corkins said.
Usually, gastroenterologists think blood in poop is coming from lower in the colon or rectum because poop red from blood would indicate the blood hasn’t yet had time to change color.
Red poop unassociated with anything you recently consumed may also come with stomach pain or fatigue.
Persons:
”, Mark Corkins, Rena Yadlapati, “, Yadlapati, Corkins, ” Yadlapati, Colon, it’s, ” Corkins
Organizations:
CNN, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, McGill University’s Office, Science and Society, gastroenterology, University of California
Locations:
University of California San Diego