Bad-smelling poop is often caused by your diet, especially sulfur-rich foods, or gut bacteria fermenting foods; however, unusually foul odors can signal malabsorption, infections (like C. difficile), or conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or cystic fibrosis, where your body struggles to digest fats and nutrients, creating strong-smelling gases. Healthline +4
But there is poo that smells worse than bad — and that's where you want to pay attention. Foul-smelling poop is often connected to unwanted bacteria taking up residence in your gut and upsetting your usual digestive process, says Dr. Lee. That strong smell is often in conjunction with diarrhea, too.
Some foods are known to produce stinky poop. Here are some examples: Cruciferous vegetables: Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage contain sulfur compounds that can cause smelly gas and poop. Red meat: Red meat is high in protein, which can produce foul-smelling gases when broken down in the intestines.
The "3 poop rule," or "three-and-three rule," is a guideline for normal bowel habits, suggesting that pooping anywhere from three times a day to three times a week is considered healthy, with individual patterns varying widely. It helps identify issues: fewer than three times a week may signal constipation, while more than three times a day (especially with loose stools) might indicate diarrhea, prompting a doctor visit for persistent problems, notes Symprove UK.
Mushy stool with fluffy pieces that have a pudding-shaped consistency is an early stage of diarrhea. This form of stool has passed through the colon quickly due to stress or a dramatic change in diet or activity level. When mushy stool occurs, it's hard to control the urge or timing of the bowel movement.
Alcohol, high-sulfur foods, or a high-fat diet can affect gut bacteria and create sulfide gases that cause smelly poop. Lactose intolerance and digestive diseases can cause foul-smelling stool due to malabsorption. Seeing a doctor for smelly poop can help determine the cause and the right treatment plan for you.
If you have diarrhoea or constipation for more than 2 – 3 days, your stools are black, tarry, very light pale or grey in colour, or you see blood in your stool, see your doctor. CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.
Dehydration
Not drinking enough water can lead to harder, more concentrated stool, amplifying odors. What to do: Aim for 8–10 cups of fluids daily. Include water-rich foods (cucumber, watermelon) in your diet.
Crohn's disease can change the way your poop looks and smells. It may be loose, hard, oily, pale, bloody, or foul-smelling.
Symptoms of stress
At this stage, we can't say whether it is healthier to do floaters or sinkers, he says. “It probably depends on exactly which gut bacteria are producing the gas.”
IBS poop varies greatly, often fluctuating between hard, lumpy, and difficult-to-pass stools (IBS-C) and loose, watery, and urgent stools (IBS-D), or alternating between both (IBS-M), sometimes with mucus present, but not blood. Shapes can range from small pellets to thin, pencil-like forms, and color might shift due to speed of passage (e.g., green/yellow for fast, darker for slow).
Signs of bad gut health include digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn; skin problems such as acne or eczema; mood changes like anxiety or depression; fatigue; sugar cravings; and unintentional weight changes, all stemming from an imbalance in your gut microbiome (dysbiosis). These symptoms can signal that your gut isn't processing food and eliminating waste effectively, impacting overall well-being, notes Healthdirect and GoodRx.
Poop is made up of mostly water, about 75%! The remaining 25% is a stinky combination of fiber, bacteria, cells and mucous. Bile is a greenish fluid produced in the liver that aids in the digestion of fat and can alter the color of your poop.
Even though early colon cancer might not cause any signs, here are some stool changes that could be warning signs: Blood in your stool. You might see bright red blood or very dark, black, tarlike stool. Blood from lower down in your colon or rectum is usually red.
Poop red flags signaling a need to see a doctor include ** blood in or on the stool**, black/tarry or pale/grey stools, persistent diarrhea or constipation (over 2-3 days/weeks), severe abdominal pain/cramps, unexplained weight loss, foul odor, or a sudden change in bowel habits/urgency, as these can point to issues from minor problems like fissures to serious conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or colorectal cancer, says Healthdirect and Cancer Research UK.
"If (someone) has a bowel movement and it's so clean and well-formed that it doesn't leave any residue and just sinks, that is actually a very healthy bowel movement," says De Latour.
Stool smell isn't really pleasant and isn't normally an indicator of health issues, but it's important to take note if your poop is particularly pungent or foul-smelling. Certain smells may indicate issues in your GI (gastrointestinal tract).
Overview. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the stomach and intestines, also called the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include cramping, belly pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both.
If you notice any of the following signs, you should consult a doctor: Changes in your stool odor that persist for days or weeks despite dietary modifications. Dark, black, bad-smelling stool. Unintentional weight loss or unexplained appetite loss.
If you have diarrhoea or constipation for more than 2 – 3 days, your stools are black, tarry, very light pale or grey in colour, or you see blood in your stool, see your doctor. CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.