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What Causes Pale Stools?

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Posted on Wed, 14 Jun 2017
Question: I have pale stools and they always sit on the bottom of the toilet and don't float
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Answered by Dr. Sunil (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Its good for stols to settle down.

Detailed Answer:
Hello Dear,
Thank you for chosing HealthcareMagic for your query.
Have gone through your details and i and i appreciate your concerns.

Color to stool is given by bile.Bile is secreted by liver and is stored in gall bladder.This bile is broken down into stercobilinogen which imparts light brown color to the stools.Therfore Pale colored stools are not normal. It may be suggestive of a problem with the drainage of your biliary system, which is comprised of your gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. Therefore initially i would suggest you to go for few baseline tests of gastoenterology like-
Liver function test
Ultra sound abdomen

A good diet will result in the faeces sinking to the bottom of the bowl. The recommended diet is plant-based and low in fat. This is a healthy diet, and on this diet the stools generally sink.As your stool always sinks to bottom this means that you are following a good diet and should continue with that.

Floating is due to too much fat in the faeces. More likely they float because of the presence of gas. Increased levels of air and gas in the stool make it less dense, and cause it to float. A diet high in animal fat and protein can lead to an increase in the amount of gas produced by the bacteria that live in the gut. Lowering the fat content of the food will generally make the stools sink.

So you should just be cncerned about color of stools.
Go for the tests i suggested and follow up with reports.

Kind regards.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
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Answered by
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Dr. Sunil

Gastroenterologist

Practicing since :1982

Answered : 351 Questions

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What Causes Pale Stools?

Brief Answer: Its good for stols to settle down. Detailed Answer: Hello Dear, Thank you for chosing HealthcareMagic for your query. Have gone through your details and i and i appreciate your concerns. Color to stool is given by bile.Bile is secreted by liver and is stored in gall bladder.This bile is broken down into stercobilinogen which imparts light brown color to the stools.Therfore Pale colored stools are not normal. It may be suggestive of a problem with the drainage of your biliary system, which is comprised of your gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. Therefore initially i would suggest you to go for few baseline tests of gastoenterology like- Liver function test Ultra sound abdomen A good diet will result in the faeces sinking to the bottom of the bowl. The recommended diet is plant-based and low in fat. This is a healthy diet, and on this diet the stools generally sink.As your stool always sinks to bottom this means that you are following a good diet and should continue with that. Floating is due to too much fat in the faeces. More likely they float because of the presence of gas. Increased levels of air and gas in the stool make it less dense, and cause it to float. A diet high in animal fat and protein can lead to an increase in the amount of gas produced by the bacteria that live in the gut. Lowering the fat content of the food will generally make the stools sink. So you should just be cncerned about color of stools. Go for the tests i suggested and follow up with reports. Kind regards.