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Doctors say the feeling of going to the toilet can be a genuinely 'orgasmic experience.'

Dr Anish Sheth, a gastroenterologist from Princeton who has co-authored a book called What's Your Poo Telling You?, says the key to the feeling known as 'poo-phoria' is the need to pass a particularly large stool.

When the movement is big enough to distend the rectum, it can stimulate the vagus nerve, usually associated with having an orgasm.

In the book, Dr Sheth says "To some it may feel like a religious experience, to others, like an orgasm, and to a lucky few, like both."

The feeling of 'poo-phoria' - the high that can accompany a large movement - is caused by a drop in heart rate and blood pressure, which decreases blood flow to the brain.

Dr Sheth told reporters: "The stool high is relatively safe, but can become an addiction for some."