What Does It Mean if You Have Yellow Poop?
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Medically reviewed by Jay N. Yepuri, MD
Yellow poop can be a sign you have excess fat in your stool. This may be because you've eaten a lot of fatty foods. You could also have a medical condition that is causing your body to not absorb nutrients, like fat, properly. Yellow stool may also be caused by conditions that affect the flow of your bile, a fluid that aids in digestion. Celiac disease, liver issues, and gallstones are just some of the conditions that can cause the change in stool color.
Because abnormal poop colors—including yellow poop—can be an indicator of underlying health conditions, knowing why your poop may be yellow can help you seek any necessary treatments. Here’s how to figure out what may be causing yellow stool and how to get your stool back to brown.
Causes of Yellow Poop in Adults
If you have yellow poop, diet or an underlying medical condition is usually the cause. The conditions can affect several parts of the body, including the pancreas, liver, and intestines. Here are possible reasons why your stool is yellow:
1.Orange, Yellow, of Fatty Foods
If you just ate a meal with carrots, sweet potatoes, or turmeric, your poop can come out looking pale or bright yellow. These foods can cause yellow stools because they are high in beta-carotene, a type of carotenoid that gives food a yellow-orange pigment. When you ingest a bunch of beta-carotene, some of that pigment can pass into your stool and give it a different color than usual.
Similarly, eating foods that contain yellow food dye may turn poop yellow. Sometimes eating foods high in fat can also add more fat to stool, leading to yellow poop.
2.Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes the body to attack the small intestine after you've eaten gluten. Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley, and rye products. When someone with celiac disease continuously eats gluten, the intestines become damaged and don’t properly absorb nutrients.
Because the body can't absorb nutrients like fat correctly, the excess fat can make its way into the stool. Fatty stool is known as steatorrhea, and it can look pale.
In addition to being yellow, the stool might be greasy, bulky, and foul-smelling. You may also experience the following celiac disease symptoms:
3.Stress and Anxiety
Excess stress and anxiety can alter your digestion and gut microbiome, which is the collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in your digestive tract. Research shows stress can impact your digestion enough to change nutrient absorption, potentially leading to fat malabsorption and yellow poop.
Anxiety and stress can cause other gastrointestinal issues as well, including:
Diarrhea
Constipation
Stomach cramping
Nausea
Indigestion
Loss of appetite
Peptic ulcers (sores that develop in your stomach)
4.Cholestasis of the Liver
Cholestasis is the reduction or stoppage of bile flow. Bile is a substance your liver produces that helps breaks down fats during digestion. When bile flow is reduced or stopped, the bile can't help break down the fat, and so your stool may contain more fat than usual, which makes it appear pale.
Your poop might also look lighter in color if you have cholestasis because since bilirubin—the pigment in bile that gives the digestive fluid its yellow color—is no longer being properly produced, it is no longer eliminated through stool. Without the pigment, stool looks paler.
There are several conditions of the liver that can cause cholestasis:
Acute Hepatitis
Hepatitis is liver inflammation usually caused by a viral infection. Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E can cause acute (short-term) hepatitis. A, B, and C are the most common types in the U.S.
The viral infection can lead to cholestasis, which may cause paler looking stool. Other symptoms of hepatitis include:
Fever
Joint pain
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is when the liver becomes scarred or damaged. You may develop cholestasis and its paler stool from chronic hepatitis B or C. Like hepatitis, cirrhosis can remove or reduce bile salts that help digestion and nutrient absorption, causing yellow poop.
Other cirrhosis symptoms can include:
Fatigue
Itchy skin
Loss of appetite
Unexpected weight loss
Mild pain in the upper right abdomen
Leg, ankle, or foot swelling (edema)
Dark urine
Abdominal swelling
Easy bruising or bleeding
5.Cholestasis Outside the Liver
It's possible to have a reduction or stoppage in bile flow due to issues outside the liver. Other conditions that can cause cholestasis, and therefore lighter stool that may appear yellow, include:
Gallstones
A gallstone is a solid, stone-like collection of bile that can block the bile ducts. Bile ducts carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder to the small intestine. When you have a gallstone, the blockage can cause bile to build up in the gallbladder.
Gallstones can cause your bile salt levels to drop. As a result, digestion and nutrient absorption slow down. If you have any fat malabsorption, your poop may turn yellow. Other symptoms of gallstones can include:
Abdominal pain that lasts several hours
Nausea and vomiting
Jaundice
Fever
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas caused by digestive enzymes damaging the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland that helps produce enzymes that break down food. When your pancreas is inflamed, you may not be able to break down nutrients like fats as easily. This can lead to paler, yellow-looking stools.
Besides a change in stool color, you might also experience severe upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting if you have pancreatitis.
Cancer of the pancreas can also cause cholestasis and lead to paler stools. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include abdominal pain, back pain, weight loss, jaundice, and fatigue.
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that causes thick mucus that blocks the tubes leading to the pancreas, lungs, liver, and sinuses.
When the mucus builds up in the pancreas, the digestive enzymes that allow the body to properly absorb nutrients cannot be released. This malabsorption can cause a change in stool color.
When the mucus builds up in the liver, it can block the bile duct. This makes it so that bile cannot properly break down fat or be released through stool, two scenarios that can impact stool color.
Cystic fibrosis symptoms vary, but many people with the condition have breathing issues and repeat lung infections.
6.Gilbert Syndrome
Gilbert syndrome is a genetic liver condition that causes high bilirubin levels in the blood, known as hyperbilirubinemia. Your liver makes bilirubin to help digest food. But if you have Gilbert syndrome, the liver can’t process bilirubin correctly, and the substance builds up in your blood. Bilirubin has an orange-yellow tint and gives stool its usual brown color. A build-up in your body means the substance is not being released through your stool, which is why your poop can be yellow or clay-colored.
People with Gilbert syndrome often have fluctuating levels of bilirubin that don’t cause life-threatening complications. Menstruation, dehydration, fasting, illness, or vigorous exercise can all trigger mild hyperbilirubinemia episodes.
Nearly 30% of people with Gilbert syndrome don’t experience any side effects. However, you may experience abdominal discomfort, jaundice, and fatigue.
7.Giardiasis
Ingesting food or water with Giardia duodenalis parasite cysts can lead to an intestinal tract infection called giardiasis. Giardia is a microscopic parasite that can cause a lot of problems. Once it infects you, it lives in your intestines and passes through your poop. Over time, giardiasis keeps your body from absorbing essential nutrients, including fat, resulting in yellow poop.
Other symptoms of giardiasis include:
Foul-smelling, greasy poop
Diarrhea
Gas
Stomach cramps
Abdominal pain
Upset stomach
Nausea
Dehydration
Giardia can live for weeks or months outside the body. Poop containing Giardia can contaminate surfaces and food and spread the parasite. So make sure to practice proper hand hygiene.
Yellow Poop in Babies
If you see yellow poop in your baby's diaper, don't worry. Yellow poop is actually normal for babies.
Babies who are breastfed may produce stool that is mustard-yellow. It may even look like there are seeds in the poop. Babies you receive formula can produce stool that is yellow or tan. Their stools are also likely firmer than that of breastfed babies.
Once babies start eating more solid food, poop will start to turn brown.
Potential Complications
Underlying conditions that cause yellow poop can cause health issues. When yellow stool is due to fat malabsorption, you can also experience complications related to poor nutrient absorption.
Potential complications of not seeking treatment for malabsorption can include:
Fat-soluble nutrient deficiencies (vitamins A, D, E, and K)
Sudden weight loss
Malnutrition
Zinc deficiency
Poor bone health, including increased risk of fractures and osteoporosis
When To See a Healthcare Provider
Yellow poop will usually clear up relatively soon if it’s related to something you ate. If you haven't eaten anything that would make your stool change color or your poop remains yellow, consider seeing your healthcare provider.
Other poop-related symptoms that warrant a visit with a healthcare provider include:
Loose, liquid yellow stool that lasts more than two days (24 hours for children)
Fatigue
Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
Vomiting
Unexpected weight loss
Pooping six or more times in 24 hours
Severe abdominal or lower back pain
Diagnosis
To diagnose what’s causing yellow poop, your provider will likely start with a physical exam and ask about your medical history and symptoms. Some important things to tell your provider include:
When your yellow poop started
Other symptoms you are experiencing and when they started
If every bowel movement results in yellow poop
The medications or supplements you are taking
Your healthcare provider may also do some diagnostic tests. Testing that can help diagnose underlying conditions related to yellow stools include:
Blood tests: Testing blood samples can help providers check your liver function and screen for viruses affecting liver health.
Stool sample: The sample can be examined for fat content, health markers, parasites, viruses, and bacteria.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): This procedure involves the insertion of an endoscope—a flexible tube with a light and camera—into the ducts leading to the pancreas and gallbladder to look for abnormalities.
Imaging tests: These non-invasive tests take images of the inside of the body to help identify any issues with the liver and bile ducts. Tests may include abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment for Yellow Poop
The steps you should take to get your poop back to its normal color depends on the cause.
For instance, if you have celiac disease, following a gluten-free diet can resolve symptoms and help your body absorb nutrients again. As a result, your yellow stools should darken up.
If cholestasis is causing your stool color change, your healthcare provider will determine the best way to get your bile flowing properly. For hepatitis, this might include antiviral medications. For gallstones, it might include surgery to remove your gallbladder.
How To Prevent Yellow Poop
You can help prevent yellow poop by managing any underlying conditions and making lifestyle changes. Some ways to promote healthy bowel movements and avoid yellow stools include:
Avoiding gluten-containing foods if you have celiac disease
Limiting or cutting out alcohol, especially if you have a liver condition
Controlling stress with relaxing activities like yoga or meditation
A Quick Review
Yellow poop is usually a sign of fat malabsorption or restricted bile flow. It can indicate various underlying health conditions related to your liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and digestive tract. However, you might also have yellow poop because you've eaten yellow-pigmented or fatty foods. If you are concerned about your yellow stool, consider seeing a healthcare provider. They can help determine whether the change in stool color is a concern and if any treatment is needed. In babies, yellow stool is normal. The stool will grow dark as they are fed solid foods.
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