NATION NOW

Why the black Whopper turns your poop green

Allison Carter
The Indianapolis Star

Black burger goes in. Green poop comes out?

Goes in black, comes out green.

That seems to be the case with Burger King's Halloween Whopper. It turns out the most frightening part of the holiday sandwich might not be the black bun — tinted with A.1. Steak Sauce — but its effect on a person's poo.

And according to the curious diners who've tried the burger, their dookie turned vividly, neon green.

"Almost a grass green," Mike Wickliff, Indianapolis, said of his droppings after chowing down on a Halloween Whopper. All things considered, he said, his stool was normal. Just green.

But Wickliff was more than prepared for what he saw in the bowl.

The black arts: Burger King unveils Halloween Whopper

"I had been warned." he said. "Somebody on Twitter was talking about it and I thought, 'Well, now I have to go try it!'"

In a more detailed review of the burger's actual culinary merits, Wickliff said despite the color, the bun tasted like ... a bun.

"It didn't suck and I'd have another, but I'm not going to go out of my way for it," he said.

But, let's be honest, we're more interested in outcomes than inputs. How does a black bun turn into a trip to the Emerald City?

Turns out, it's in the secret sauce — or, rather, dye.

"To make poop turn that color green, it would require far more dye than is in the typical type of A.1.," said Pamela Reilly of Indianapolis, a naturopathic doctor and certified nutrition counselor who was pretty amused by the burger. "My guess is that they're using a concentrated form."

Burger King's website says the food colorings "are commonly used in the industry and within the safe and Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

... Which also happens to make your dung as green as a bro's Bud Light on St. Patrick's Day.

But the color isn't anything to worry about, Reilly said. Other dyes, like those in cake frosting, can deliver the same outcome. If you eat mass quantities of bright foods (beets, tomatoes or leafy greens) you might also notice a greater spectrum in your rectal rainbow.

And even without gothic buns or big kale salads, your poop could turn green on its own. If food passes through your colon too quickly, liver enzymes don't fully have the time to break down nutrients. That can leave your poo with a green hue, Reilly said. However, the goblin-y green produced by the Halloween Whopper isn't likely to be replicated by natural foods.

So when should you be concerned about the color of your poop? Bright red or sticky, tar-like feces could be a sign of internal bleeding. That's when it's time to call the doctor. Also be on the lookout for consistently clay or tan stool, which could mean liver disfunction. But before you freak out about internal bleeding, think back and ask yourself if you've eaten a bright-red cupcake or a lot of dark-dyed candy in the last 48 hours (we've all been there).

The bottom line, according to Reilly: "The normal color of poop is brown, and any change requires some attention."

Unless you've just eaten the ultimate trick-or-treat burger, that is.

Deuces.