Many irritable bowel syndrome sufferers wonder if their dark green stools are related to their IBS.

Do you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and are wondering if the dark green color of your stools is connected to this puzzling GI condition?

“The color of stool is predominantly determined by what you eat and the bile you produce,” says John E. Pandolfino, MD, Director of the Esophageal Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology at Northwestern University. 

“Green stool can be caused by a number of things, and most of them are benign and will resolve.”

So if the dark green color of your stools has had you worried, you now realize that this is most likely a harmless occurrence, especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome.

Dr. Pandolfino continues, “Theoretically, the stool becomes more green when bowel transit is a little too fast, and this can occur in diarrhea-predominant IBS.”

Dr. Pandolfino’s practice covers a wide gamut of GI disorders including GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, benign and malignant tumors, swallowing disorders and esophageal disorders.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.

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