Talking about poop might feel awkward, but understanding what your body is telling you can be important for your health. If you’ve noticed that your poop smells kind of like grass, you might be confused. After all, that’s not the normal smell most of us expect! Don’t worry—there are a few reasons this could be happening, and most of them aren’t anything to stress about. Continue reading to learn why your poop might have this strange grassy smell.

Eating a Lot of Green Vegetables Can Make Your Poop Smell Like Grass

The most common reason for a grassy smell is the kind of food you’ve been eating. Have you been eating a lot of salads lately or filling up on spinach, kale, or other leafy greens? If so, that could be why your poop smells like grass. These green veggies have a lot of chlorophyll—the natural pigment that makes plants green—and when you eat a lot of them, the chlorophyll can affect the smell of your poop.

Chlorophyll doesn’t just make plants green; it also has some detoxifying properties. When you eat a lot of green veggies, chlorophyll can pass through your digestive system without changing too much, which can make your poop smell grassy. So, if you’ve been eating more leafy greens lately, there’s probably nothing to worry about—it just means your diet is full of healthy vegetables, which is a good thing!

Chlorophyll Supplements Could Also Be the Cause

If you’re not just eating leafy greens but also taking chlorophyll supplements, that could be the reason. These supplements have become pretty popular lately because they’re thought to help with detox, but they can also make your poop smell like grass. Chlorophyll supplements are often advertised as helping with bad breath, body odor, and digestion. However, they can also make your poop smell like “grass.”

If you’re taking chlorophyll or other green supplements (like wheatgrass or spirulina), this could be the reason for the change in smell. It’s usually harmless, but if it bothers you, you could try taking less to see if the smell goes away.

Fast Digestion Can Affect the Smell of Your Poop

How quickly food moves through your digestive system, also known as transit time, can affect how your poop smells. If your digestion is faster than usual, your body might not have enough time to fully break down the food before it comes out. This can happen if you’re eating a lot of fiber, which speeds up digestion.

When food moves quickly through your body, some of the leafy greens might not get fully digested, which can make your poop smell more like plants. This isn’t usually something to worry about, but it’s a good idea to stay hydrated and eat a balanced diet so your digestive system doesn’t get overwhelmed.

Gut Bacteria Could Also Affect the Smell

Your gut microbiome is a group of trillions of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in your intestines. They help break down the food you eat. If your gut bacteria are especially good at breaking down plant material, they might produce more of a grassy smell.

Everyone’s gut microbiome is different, so even if you eat the same foods as someone else, your poop might smell different depending on how your body breaks it down. Eating foods that have probiotics, like yogurt or fermented foods, might help balance your gut bacteria and change the smell over time.

Bile Plays a Role in Poop Color and Smell

Bile is a fluid made by the liver that helps digest fats, and it can also affect the color and smell of your poop. If your poop smells like grass, it might be because the bile isn’t breaking down completely during digestion. Bile is naturally green, and if food moves through your system too fast, bile might not have enough time to fully break down, which can make your poop smell grassy or earthy.

This might be more noticeable if you’ve eaten a fatty meal since your body makes more bile to digest the fat. It’s usually nothing to worry about, but if you notice other changes, like very pale or greasy poop, you might want to check with your doctor.

When to Worry About Unusual Poop Smells

A grassy smell is usually nothing to worry about, but sometimes changes in poop smell can be a sign of something more serious. If you have other symptoms, like ongoing diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexpected weight loss, it’s a good idea to see a doctor. Changes in poop smell, color, or consistency that don’t go away after a week or two could mean there’s a digestive problem.

Conditions like celiac disease or malabsorption syndromes can affect how your body processes food and cause unusual poop smells. These conditions usually have other symptoms, too, so it’s important to pay attention to any new or worrying signs in your body.

The Bottom Line: Why Your Poop Smells Like Grass

If your poop smells like grass, it’s probably because of your diet—especially if you’ve been eating lots of leafy greens or taking chlorophyll supplements. How quickly your food moves through your body and the bacteria in your gut can also affect the smell. Most of the time, it’s nothing to worry about; it just shows what’s going on in your digestive system.

However, if you have other symptoms like stomach pain, weight loss, or ongoing diarrhea, it’s smart to see a doctor. A doctor can help figure out if there’s a bigger issue that needs to be treated.

Otherwise, just remember that your diet and digestive health are closely linked. Keep eating those greens—they’re healthy, even if they make things smell a little grassy sometimes!