Black poop can be harmless, caused by certain foods or medications, or it can be a sign of melena, meaning there’s blood in your stool. Melena happens when bleeding occurs in the upper digestive tract ...

Three-quarters of your poop consists of water and most of the rest is food your body didn’t digest. Once it exits the digestive system, poop is usually a shade of brown, regardless of the appearance ...

At this point in life, you likely have a good idea of what your average bowel movements look like. So if you happen to notice they’re darker than usual, it’s understandable to wonder, “Why is my poop ...