11. Light-Colored and Oily Stool
When bile, a fluid secreted by the liver to digest fat in food, is prevented to pass into the intestine by a blockage in the common bile duct, it fails to do the job it is intended for. When this happens, fat contained in food remains in the stool instead of being broken down and absorbed by the body. When this happens, the fat remains unchanged and is passed out with the stool in the form of oil.
Also, when bile is prevented from reaching the intestines, its product, bilirubin, a brownish colored pigment that gives stool its characteristic color, isn’t able to reach the bowels. When this occurs, the stools that are passed out are lighter in color, thanks to the absence or lack of bilirubin.
