What Are the Causes of White or Yellow Stool?

Bowel movement colors can vary from brown to green, yellow, white or red. White stool has various causes like low bile levels, gallbladder problems and side-effect of anti-diarrhea medication. Causes of yellow stool include undigested bile, allergies to gluten and intestine infections.

Bile

• Bile is the digestive fluid that turns stool brown. White stool indicates a low level of bile in the body while bright yellow stool is a sign of undigested bile.

White Stool Causes

• White stool can be a side-effect of anti-diarrhea medication. Health conditions that white stool indicates includes gallstones, liver infections, body abnormalities, tumors, cysts and biliary cirrhosis.

Yellow Stool Causes

• Yellow stool is a common symptom of celiac disease (allergy to the protein gluten). Other causes of yellow stool include bacterial infection in the intestines, food moving through the gastrointestinal tract too fast and excess fat in bowel movements.

Yellow Stool in Babies

• Yellow stool is normal for babies who are breast fed.

Significance

• Understanding the reason for different bowel movement colors is beneficial in detecting possible undiagnosed conditions. If your stool is white or yellow, consult your doctor to determine the cause of your abnormal colored stool.