If there is undigested food in your stool, there is usually nothing to worry about. However, if you experience it frequently or if there are additional symptoms, it may indicate a medical condition.
The body eliminates waste products – mainly undigested food materials – through your stool. However, sometimes you may notice that some foods appear intact and unchanged in your stool.
While this is not usually a cause for concern, there may be circ*mstances in which someone with undigested food in their stool should consult a doctor.
The most common cause of undigested food in the stool is high-fiber foods. Although the body can break down most foods, fiber remains largely undigested. However, eating fiber can be helpful because it adds bulk to the stool.
Stools that are bulkier stimulate the walls of the intestines to move. This helps propel the food material forward for digestion. Examples of fiber-rich food particles that often remain largely undigested include:
- beans
- but
- grains such as quinoa
- peas
- seeds, such as sunflower seeds, linseed or sesame seeds
- peeling vegetables, such as peppers or tomatoes
Corn is an especially common culprit for undigested food in the feces. This is because corn has an outer shell made of a compound called cellulose. Your body does not contain enzymes that specifically break down cellulose. However, your body can break down the food components found in the corn.
If you see what looks like whole corn kernels in your stool, chances are you are only seeing the outer shell of the corn.
Do I have to worry?
Seeing these particles in your stool is usually not a cause for concern. However, some people are concerned that they are not getting enough nutrients in their diet. However, the body is not designed to break down all forms of fiber.
Eating more slowly and chewing more carefully can reduce the amount of food particles in your stool. Food that is chewed more thoroughly and into smaller pieces makes it easier for your digestive enzymes to break down the food.
Another option is steaming foods, especially vegetables. Softening food makes it easier for the body to break it down and maximizes nutrient absorption.
Typically, it takes about one to three days for food material to pass through your digestive tract and come out in your stool. If you notice the food particles in your stool much more quickly, this may indicate that the stool is moving faster than normal.
The stool should be easy to pass. It should not feel hard or dry. Although the appearance of stool may vary from person to person,general appearance of stoolshould be soft and brown in color.
Although undigested food in the stool is usually nothing to worry about, there are some exceptions. The presence of undigested food may indicate that the food is passing through the digestive tract too quickly and is not being digested properly. Consult your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms:
- changes in bowel habits, such asloss of control over the intestines
- persistent diarrhea
- unexplained weight loss
- blood in the stool
These symptoms may indicate an underlying condition. Some conditions include:
- Celiac disease.The bodycannot break down gluten properly, a protein found in many foods, especially bread products.
- Crohn's disease.This isa form of inflammatory bowel disease, in which a person experiences significant inflammation in their digestive tract.
- Pancreatic insufficiency.The pancreas may possiblynot making enough enzymesto properly break down food particles.
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).This hereconditioncan be caused by an overly sensitive colon.
- Lactose intolerance.Cheerfulconditionyour body does not have enough of the lactase enzyme to digest lactose, a carbohydrate lactose.
These are just a few examples of conditions associated with the presence of undigested food.
Next step
If a doctor is concerned about the presence of undigested food in the stool and other symptoms, he/she may order onestool test. In this test, a sample of stool is collected and sent to a laboratory for evaluation. The test can look for the presence of blood, fat, or undigested food materials.
Sometimes a doctor can orderblood teststo test for a low blood count due to gastrointestinal bleeding or the presence of nutritional deficiencies. If a person has a particular nutritional deficiency, this may indicate the presence of a food allergy or intolerance.
In the absence of other digestive-related symptoms, undigested food particles in the stool are usually not a cause for concern. Contact your doctor if you develop symptoms that worry you.
