Poop Decoder
Why is my poop orange?
Almost always food. Orange poop usually comes from beta-carotene, the pigment in carrots, sweet potatoes and squash, or from orange food dye. It goes back to brown once the food has passed through.
What usually causes it
Beta-carotene
The orange pigment in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and squash can tint stool. It takes a lot, though. Gastroenterologists see it most in people who drink plenty of carrot juice.
Food dye
Orange coloring in drinks, candy and snacks can come out the other end looking much the same as it went in.
Speed
When food moves through quickly, bile doesn't have time to turn brown, which leaves stool lighter: yellow, green or orange.
One antibiotic does it
Rifampin, an antibiotic used for tuberculosis and some other infections, can turn stool, urine, sweat and tears reddish-orange to reddish-brown. If you're taking it, that's the likely reason.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic, Can food change the color of your poop?; MedlinePlus, Rifampin; The Conversation, Why is my poo green?.