Not Medical Advice: The products of bacterial action are the cause of different stool smells. You may have a high concentration of a compound called "mercaptans." This compound is what causes the stool to smell like burnt rubber.
According to Healthline, a change in your diet is often the reason for foul-smelling stools. Additional causes include the following:
1. Malabsorption
Malabsorption is another common cause. Malabsorption occurs when your body is unable to absorb the proper amount of nutrients from the food you eat. This generally occurs when there is an intestinal infection or an intestinal disease that prevents your intestines from absorbing nutrients from your food.
Common causes of malabsorption are:
Celiac disease, which is a reaction to gluten that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents proper absorption of nutrients
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
Carbohydrate intolerance, which is an inability to process sugars and starches completely
Dairy protein and other food allergies
If you have inflammatory bowel disease, also known as IBD, eating certain foods will cause your intestines to become inflamed. People with IBD often complain of foul-smelling diarrhea or constipation. Affected individuals also have flatulence after eating certain foods. This flatulence may have a foul smell.
2. Infection
Infections that affect the intestines may also cause foul-smelling stools. One infection called gastroenteritis occurs after ingesting food that has been contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella, as well as certain other viruses, bacteria, or parasites.
Soon after developing the infection, you may experience abdominal cramps and then have foul-smelling, runny stools.
3. Medications and supplements
Certain medications may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. Taking some over-the-counter multivitamins may also cause foul-smelling stools if you’re allergic to the supplements’ ingredients. After a course of antibiotics, you may have foul-smelling stools until your normal bacterial flora is restored.
Foul-smelling diarrhea can be a side effect of taking more than the recommended daily allowance of a multivitamin or any single vitamin or mineral. Diarrhea associated with a multivitamin or medication overdose is the sign of a medical emergency. Getting too much of any of these vitamins can have life-threatening side effects: Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.
Other conditions that can cause foul-smelling stools include chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and short bowel syndrome.
Making dietary changes may help prevent foul-smelling stools. For example, you should avoid drinking raw, or unpasteurized, milk. If you have a disease that affects the way you absorb food or the way your body reacts to eating certain foods, your doctor can devise a diet plan that’s right for you. Following this diet plan can help reduce symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, and foul-smelling stools.
Avoid bacterial infections from food by handling your food correctly. Cook raw foods such as the following thoroughly before eating: beef, poultry, pork and eggs.
Cooking thoroughly means checking your food’s internal temperature with a thermometer before eating. Consult your local health department for the minimum internal temperature each type of food must reach before you eat it.
Don’t prepare meat and vegetables on the same chopping board. Preparing them on the same board can spread Salmonella or other bacteria. You should also wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meąts or using the restroom.
Let’s talk about poop. Sure, it’s not exactly dinner party fodder, but it’s important to educate yourself about bowel movements — what’s weird, what’s normal, what’s healthy, what’s not.
That’s because your bathroom behavior can be an important clue to your overall health: Your poop can reveal signs of infections, digestive problems, and even early signs of cancer, according to gastroenterologist Anish Sheth, MD, co-author of the books What’s Your Poo Telling You? and What’s My Pee Telling Me?
So brush up on this toilet trivia, and then pay attention to how often you go, how long it takes, and what the end result looks and, yes, smells like. Simply put, know your poop.
Your poops smell for a very good reason. We all know they’re not supposed to smell of fragrant flowers or perfume because anything containing putrefying waste matter, bacteria, parasites and dead cells – certainly isn’t going to smell nice.
However, some poops do smell worse than others and if you’ve got regular foul smelling stools it could be a sign that your digestive system is compromised in some way. Find out the causes of foul smelling bowel movements and what you can do to avoid having to spray the toilet with air freshener every time you have a poop at Digestivehealthguide.com.
Check out this Definitive Guide to Covering Up a Poop Smell shared by Greatist.