Why Does My Poop Smell Like Eggs?

Emergency Medicine, Holy Name Medical Center

Supervised by Tomas Diaz, MD

Your poop might smell like eggs because bacteria in your gut produce sulfur-rich gases during digestion.

Explanation

Inside your gut, many tiny bacteria help you break down food. When the bacteria break down foods rich in sulfur like eggs or some vegetables, they produce gases that contain sulfur, like hydrogen sulfide, which smells similar to rotten eggs. This egg-like odor in your poop is often a normal result of how your body digests food. However, if the egg-like smell lasts a long time or comes with other symptoms like stomach pain or diarrhea, it could be a sign of a gut issue that you might want to discuss with a healthcare provider.

(References)

Arakaki L, Tollefson D, Kharono B, Drain PK. Prevalence of rotavirus among older children and adults with diarrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Vaccine. 2021 Jul 30;39(33):4577-4590. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.06.073. Epub 2021 Jul 6. PMID: 34244008.
Kawadiya S, Welling C, Grego S, Deshusses MA. Fecal Malodor Detection Using Low-Cost Electrochemical Sensors. Sensors (Basel). 2020 May 20;20(10):2888. doi: 10.3390/s20102888. PMID: 32443709; PMCID: PMC7287618.
Moon JY, Kye BH, Ko SH, Yoo RN. Sulfur Metabolism of the Gut Microbiome and Colorectal Cancer: The Threat to the Younger Generation. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 19;15(8):1966. doi: 10.3390/nu15081966. PMID: 37111185; PMCID: PMC10146533.

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