Why Are Our Stools Always Brown?

As we all know, feces is the excretion of the parts of consumed food that are no longer necessary for the body after digestion. But do you think Whatever color the thing we consume has, shouldn’t it be thrown out in the same color?

At this point, our body Passing out stools that are always brown There must be a number.

While 75% of the stool consists of water, the remaining 25% consists of a mixture of various substances in the body.

In this mixture; undigested carbohydrates and fibers, proteins, fats, bacteria, mucus, intestinal secretions, chemicals in the liver, including aged blood cells and bile has.

Bile is an alkaline liquid. It consists of waste, cholesterol and bile salts. This brown appearance of the stool is largely due to with bile and bilirubin is related. Bile plays an important role in the digestive process, and approximately 600 ml of bile is stored in the liver each day.

When we eat, the gallbladder contracts and this accumulated bile is It is sent to the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. Additionally, one of the main functions of bile is to break down fats in the food we eat.

Bilirubin is a yellow substance found in our blood.

In addition, red blood cells are formed after being broken down and sent to the digestive system through our liver and gallbladder. The food we digest, A brown color appears as a result of its mixture with yellowish green bile and yellow bilirubin. The tone of this color can vary from dark brown to light brown.

In summary; The journey of feces begins with the yellowish-green color of bile, but the pigments that give bile its color continue as they circulate through our digestive system. It undergoes chemical changes and turns brown. For this reason, no matter what we consume, the color of our stool will mostly be brown.

Of course, the color of the stool may take on various colors due to some health problems or as a result of eating too much food, especially as the body tries to digest these foods quickly.

For example, when eating beets, you may experience reddish stools or If foods containing food coloring are consumed, stool may appear in different colours. However, if you do not consume this type of food and see that your stool is a color other than brown, it is useful to consult a doctor. Especially black or white stools can be a sign of serious health problems.

In addition to color The shape of the stool is also very important and decisive for our body and health. You can also take a look at this content where stool shapes are discussed in detail: