Why Does My Poop Smells Like Burnt Hair?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

Your poop might smell like burnt hair because changes in your gut bacteria can create unusual chemicals that give off a strong, odd odor.

Explanation

Your gut is full of tiny bacteria that help break down the food you eat. Sometimes, these bacteria make different smelly chemicals when they process your food. Changes in your diet, drinking alcohol, or underlying inflammation can affect these bacteria. When the bacteria change, they may produce compounds from sulfur or other parts of food that smell a bit like burnt hair. If you notice this smell often or if you have additional symptoms like stomach pain, changes in your bowel habits, or feel generally unwell, it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare provider.

(References)

Engen PA, Green SJ, Voigt RM, Forsyth CB, Keshavarzian A. The Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Alcohol Effects on the Composition of Intestinal Microbiota. Alcohol Res. 2015;37(2):223-36. PMID: 26695747; PMCID: PMC4590619.
Bosch S, Wintjens DSJ, Wicaksono A, Pierik M, Covington JA, de Meij TGJ, de Boer NKH. Prediction of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Course Based on Fecal Scent. Sensors (Basel). 2022 Mar 17;22(6):2316. doi: 10.3390/s22062316. PMID: 35336485; PMCID: PMC8948784.
Wolf, P.G., Cowley, E.S., Breister, A. _et al._ Diversity and distribution of sulfur metabolic genes in the human gut microbiome and their association with colorectal cancer._Microbiome_ 10, 64 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-022-01242-x

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