Poop is an everyday term used for feces. Nearly 75 percent of human feces is composed of water. The rest 25 percent is made of varied matter such as living bacteria, fiber or food residue that remains undigested, dead bacteria which aided the food digestion processes, waste matter present in consumed food, protein, fats, cellular linings, and salts, etc.
Poop is typically brown or yellow in color. This is due to the fact that it is usually composed of bilirubin which is an orange-yellowish material occurring in the intestines. The mixture of bilirubin and iron imparts the typical brown color to poop. Treatment of blue poop is dependent on the underlying causes.
Why is my poop blue?
There are many causes for poop color to change to blue. They are as follows:
- Consumption of Prussian blue: Indirect intake of Prussian blue or ferric ferrocyanide can result in elimination of blue poop. Prussian blue/ferric ferrocyanide is an insoluble bright blue pigment and its capsules are used in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning, i.e., cesium, thallium, or radiation poisoning.
- Artificial coloring: Most of the contemporary packaged foods come with artificial coloring, which are purposely added to make them more enticing. Excessive intake of drinks and foods that have edible dyes can cause the poop color to become blue. Some of the commonly available foods which can cause you to eliminate blue poop are blue-colored candies, Kool Aid, grape soda, and blue curaçao.Artificial colors generally do not cause any direct health problems, but doctors usually recommend to limit the intake of such colorings.
- Baby formulas: Parents need not get unduly stressed when they observe the elimination of blue poop by their baby. The digestive system of babies is constantly developing along with the growth of the baby, which in turn can result in evacuation of poop of varied colors, including blue poop. Baby formulas can also be one of the causes of blue poop in infants.
- Intake of inedible colors: When inedible colors are consumed in large quantities, then it can lead to removal of poop of different colors. Children who are prone to eating glitter, crayons, or other inedible colors will usually poop out blue feces during a bowel movement. It is important to note that glitter can damage the digestive system. Hence, they should be stored in a safe place, out of your children’s reach. Crayons typically do not cause any harmful effects when eaten, but it is best to be watchful when your child is playing with crayons.
- Intake of blueberries: The blue pigment naturally occurs in blueberries. Hence, consumption of substantially large amounts of blueberries can result in blue poop. The proportion of blueberries that needs to be consumed for one to eliminate blue poop differs from one individual to another. The condition returns to normal after patients stop eating blueberries.
- The diet: Intake of a protein or fat-rich diet such as meat, eggs, etc. can cause increased bacterial activity in the digestive system. This can then lead to elimination of blue/dark olive poop during a bowel movement, along with a putrid odor.