We cannot say that number two is supposed to smells like you are in a bed of roses but there are situations that it seems like you have dropped an atomic bomb and the whole world is vacating the premise.
Here is why this happens to you.
- 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 amount of the gasses that make your poop smell.
2. You’re Lactose Intolerant
If things get explosive every time you dig into your fave ice cream, you could be lactose intolerant. “Lactase is an enzyme that breaks lactose down to make it easier for your body to digest,” explains Niket Sonpal, M.D., assistant professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. “If you lack the lactase enzyme or produce an insufficient amount, bacteria in your large intestine causes the undigested lactose to ferment and produce foul-smelling gas and stools.” Put the kibosh on the discomfort (and aroma) by cutting back on dairy products, switching to lactose-free options, or popping lactase enzyme tablets (such as Lactaid) just before a meal or snack.
3. You Ate Too Much Junk Food
Eating fatty or processed, sugary foods can make your poop smell awful, says Gina Sam, M.D., director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Center at Mount Sinai Hospital. Some people lack the digestive enzymes necessary to fully break down fats, which can delay the digestion process. The longer the food sits around, the more digestive gasses your body will produce, which will make your number two sessions that much smellier. Meanwhile, processed foods contain oodles of synthetic ingredients that can give the digestive system a hard time.
4. You’re Taking Medication
Many times medications are coated with indigestible sugars such as sorbitol, which can ferment and make your poop smell funky.
5. Your Gut’s Out of Whack
The over-arching theme for foul-smelling poop is malabsorption, says Sonpal, which occurs when your body’s unable to absorb the proper amount of nutrients from the foods you eat.
This can be caused by any number of things, such as a gluten allergy or a bacterial overgrowth in your intestines. However, some diseases may require lifelong changes to your diet, or medications to control bowel movements and pain.