Does kale make you produce more ammonia?

I've been eating a lot more kale the last couple of days and noticed a) been more drowsy (that could however be working the end of 4 12 hour shifts) and b) my poo smelling a lot like bleach. Is there any correlations between kale and increase is nitrogen emissions?

Reply 1

LuísTA

Original post by Anonymous

No, probably it isn't related with ammonia (that's more in pee). like many other vegetables, kale has a fair amount of fibre. In your colon, you have microbes (normally beneficial ones) that can use that fibre and produce other compounds. It happens that some of those produced products have smells. Do you have another unusual symptom? If not, probably you are fine.

Reply 2

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

I dont think so, whenever i feed my guinea pigs kale i havent noticed a change in their poop or wee smells. The main thing kale would affect is calcium

Reply 3

LuísTA

Original post by CoolCavy

I dont think so, whenever i feed my guinea pigs kale i havent noticed a change in their poop or wee smells. The main thing kale would affect is calcium

I can't assure you I am right (because I am speculation); however, you can't compare yourself with you guinea pigs. The microbes you have in your gut will be very different (even among different humans is really variable). Did you eat plenty of vegetables before you start eating kale? It's fresh or fermented kale (I presume fresh?)

Reply 4

LuísTA

If you have a science background, I can recommend some articles for you to read, like this one:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24736315/

If you are interested or have any question about it just say :smile:

Reply 5

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

Original post by LuísTA

Guinea pigs are actually very physiologically similar to humans, they are the only other animal besides us that can't synthesise their own vitamin C.
I know through my guinea pigs that kale has a lot of calcium in it, i have no idea how much you would need to eat as a human for it to affect anything though. OP can take or leave my insights :tongue:

there's plenty of diet websites they could look on for more expert advice :smile:

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

Original post by LuísTA

Never had kale before. Usually tend to go with 1 meal vegetarian / vegan a day but the kale has definitely done a number on my gi tract re bowel movements.
AFAIK, no other symptoms (no Alarms symptoms)

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

Original post by Anonymous

And it is fresh kale, albeit blended with apple juice (not from concentrate, the good old cloudy stuff), pears and mango

Reply 8

LuísTA

Original post by Anonymous

And it is fresh kale, albeit blended with apple juice (not from concentrate, the good old cloudy stuff), pears and mango

I reinforce my belief that you are eating foods that potentiate the fermenting bacteria in your gut, as they are responsible for the natural smell of poo. If you do not suffer from anything beyond the odour then you are fine. A similar situation happen to me when I started to eat more yoghurt, vegetables and fruit juices.

Besides a large number of vitamins and minerals, kale has an enormous amount of sulfur and fibre, even more than spinach. As we can't user dietary fibre, our microorganisms will ferment it and produces gases, which surely enhance the poo smell. Usually, these bacteria are harmless and produce beneficial compounds such as butyrate and vitamins (besides the gases) :smile: