Have you ever wondered what it means when you go to the toilet to defecate and see whole, undigested food in your excreta? Well, if you have ever experienced this and seek answer to it, you are going to have it in this short article today.
We cannot really understand this without first knowing what happens through our digestive system from eating food to excretion. Don’t worry, I am not going to bore you with lots of story about it. What I just want you to know that if your digestive system — the enzymes and bacteria present are all doing their jobs, foods get broken down before getting to the porcelain bowl.
Mind you, there is a job on your part to do — which is to masticate (chew) your food very well before you let it go into your stomach. If you don’t do this, it might just be too much for the other parts of your digestive system to handle and you see it at the end in your poop.
So, if you are asking, “what does it mean when there is undigested food in your excreta”, “is it a bad thing when you see whole, undigested foods in your poop?”
When you see whole food in your stool, we cannot really say it is a bad thing. There are lots of foods that are just simply not digestible. Therefore, it is okay to see this once in a while but there might be an underlying problem when you start seeing this often.
for example, if your poop floats, appears oily, or gives you some pain or cramps, it could be as a result of problems like autoimmune disease such as irritable bowel syndrome or celiac disease. Celiac disease is basically an allergic reaction to gluten. It could also be a problem with your body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
When you come across undigested food in your stool more often but don’t see any symptom of a bigger underlying issue, you might want to adjust your diets and eating habit a little.
For example, there are groups of foods (water and fiber) that are know to aid digestion of foods. Add more fiber and plenty of water to your diet. Probiotics will also help add the beneficial bacteria to your intestine and provide more bacteria to help with proper digestion of foods.
In conclusion, if you do see undigested foods more often in you poop even without cramps or the other symptoms listed above, you should still consult a doctor before acting next.
