Anybody who’s needed to bust out air freshener after a number two session understands that some sees to the throne can be more powerful than others. While it’s clear that poop is supposed to smell bad, a next-level nasty aroma might be a sign that something’s off with your gastrointestinal system.
What Does It Mean When Your Poop Smells Really Bad?
Look into one or more of these possible culprits:
1. You Eat a Lot of Meat
When you eat foods that are high in sulfur – such as meats, dairy, garlic, and cruciferous veggies (think: broccoli, cabbage, kale) – your gut works overtime to digest them and produces a larger quantity of the gasses that make your poop smell. “Even with normal food digestion, these foods will provide an eggy scent to stool,” says author of “What’s Your Poo Telling You?”
2. You’re Lactose Intolerant
If things get explosive whenever you go into your fave ice cream, you could be lactose intolerant. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks lactose to make it much easier for your body to digest. If you lack the lactase enzyme or produce an inadequate amount, bacteria in your big intestinal tract causes the undigested lactose to ferment and produce foul-smelling gas and stools. Put the kibosh on the discomfort (and fragrance) by cutting down on dairy products, changing to lactose-free choices, or popping lactase enzyme tablets (such as Lactaid) right before a meal or treat.
3. You Ate Too Much Junk Food
Consuming fatty or processed, sweet foods can make your poop odor awful. Some people do not have the digestion enzymes required to totally break down fats, which can delay the digestion procedure. The longer the food relaxes, the more digestive gasses your body will produce, which will make your number two sessions that much smellier. Meanwhile, processed foods consist of thousands of synthetic ingredients that can provide the digestion system a hard time. Best to steer clear of these perpetrator foods as much as possible.
4. You’re Taking Medication
Many times medications are covered with indigestible sugars such as sorbitol, which can ferment and make your poop smell really bad. If you keep in mind running to the bathroom after beginning a new medication, it might be worth speaking to your doctor about discovering an alternative formulation.
5. Your Gut’s Out of Whack
The over-arching theme for foul-smelling poop is malabsorption which takes place when your body’s not able to take in the correct amount of nutrients from the foods you eat. If you’re not able to break down and absorb particular nutrients, they rot and smell truly bad on the way out. This can be brought on by any number of things, such as a gluten allergy or a bacterial overgrowth in your intestinal tracts. Most conditions that cause foul-smelling stools are treatable. However, some diseases may require long-lasting modifications to your diet, or medications to manage bowel movements and pain.
