Dr. Shauna Lorenzo-RiveroQ: My stool is not always brown. Is that normal?
A: Not all stool is brown. It depends on what you eat. What goes in, comes out. For example, if you eat red Jell-O, your stool will be red. The perfect stool looks like a banana, is soft, fluffy and floats. This is usually achieved by having enough fiber in the diet. The Food and Drug Administration recommends 25-35 grams of fiber a day for the average person. Adding an over-the-counter fiber supplement can help achieve that goal. A stool that is greasy, grey and floats is not normal and is a sign of lack of bile, which could indicate problems with your liver. Blood, whether it is bright-red or dark, is not normally in stool and could be caused by several things. If you notice this, please contact your doctor.
– Dr. Shauna Lorenzo-Rivero, University Surgical Associates; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
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