Science Question from a Toddler: Why is poop brown? Great article, also explained some questions I had. http://www.boingboing.net/2009/12/30/science-question-fro-4.html#more
Thanks, Hugh, I've spent most of the last hour browsing through rabbit trails on BoingBoing. How to teach physics to a dog was interesting; I was a little disappointed that the one about why we like the music we like didn't give me any insight into why some people like jazz, and some like bluegrass, etc.
It is a fascinating eclectic blog, I check it a couple of times a day, because of the quantity of posts each day by well known authors producers and guest posters often overflow the front page.
I think they left out 'pale' or near white, which can indicate a blockage of the bile duct. This can accompany jaundice of the skin and eyes.
It was in the article, not the jaundice but other items: Without stercobilin, your poo would actually be a sort of pale, off-grey color, like white clay. This really does happen from time to time, Dr. Sheth said, when something is blocking a patient's bile duct, so that bile can't get from the gall bladder into the intestinal tract. The cause could be as simple as a gall stone, or as ominous as pancreatic cancer. Hugh...you have too much time on your hands. :lol::lol: Sherry
Dr. Oz talks about poop sometimes. My daugther watched a rerun yesterday at my mom's house and told me all about how "S" shaped poop is better than the little balls - which mean you are constipated and need more water. :lol: She loved telling me about that. She's a chip off the ole' block. :mrgreen:
Never heard that if one drinks water they will not be constipated or it will help with that problem. We just got back from Jamaica and while I was there I ate goat with curry sauce. My stomach was all torn up. Saw the nurse and she gave me a package of sea salt, told me to put it in a liter bottle of water,drink all of it within 24 hours and I should be better. Maybe all that water helps! Sherry
can't remember the name, but there is a chemical given off by the liver, that causes feces to be brown. it's been a while since bs100 @ ncsu. Anyhow, there is a 'something', produced by the body, that causes poop to be brown.
From my understanding, bile is what turns poop brown. That is why with a blockage of the bile duct, your BMs will turn pale, the bile will back up and turn your skin yellow. This happens in causes of cancers of the bile duct, diseased gallbladder or gallstones.
I knew that stuff before reading the article. I've always been fascinated with the human body and paid attention in biology class. In fact, that was probably one of my best subjects.
