Why Is There Undigested Food in Your Poop? Causes & What to Do

Key takeaways:

• Finding undigested food may be considered normal based on dietary choices.
• If you notice undigested food in your stool and are experiencing other symptoms such as weight loss or gastrointestinal upset, you should speak with your healthcare provider.
• Consistently finding undigested food in your poop is more concerning than a transient episode and should prompt a medical evaluation.

Seeing the occasional undigested food in your stool might be concerning, but is not always a sign of something abnormal going on with your bowels. Many people will experience this at some point and for the most part, it should not be a cause for concern.

However, there are situations where this may indicate an underlying digestive problem or medical condition. In this article, we will review the various causes of undigested food in your poop, when it’s a sign of a more serious issue, and how you can potentially prevent it with minor diet changes.

Is it normal to find undigested food in your poop?

If you can link undigested food in your stool to certain dietary choices and don’t find this to be a chronic symptom, then this may be normal. If you are regularly experiencing the presence of undigested food in your poop, this would not be considered normal.

Causes of undigested food in poop

There are a few different reasons why you may see undigested food in your stool. Some reasons require no intervention at all, while others should prompt an evaluation by a healthcare provider.

Malabsorption and maldigestion

Malabsorption refers to impaired nutrient absorption in the bowels, and maldigestion refers to impaired nutrient digestion. Both can lead to the appearance of fatty and oily stools as well as the presence of fully or partially undigested food in the stool.

Common underlying causes of malabsorption and maldigestion syndromes include liver disease, chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease, and bowel resection procedures.

Rapid transit time

When food moves through the digestive system too quickly, your intestines may not have enough time to break down the food fully. This can lead to large particles of food being excreted in your stool.

This can happen when you experience diarrhea as a result of infection, medication, or an underlying health condition that makes you prone to diarrhea.

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease refers to a group of chronic intestinal diseases. One of these diseases known as Crohn’s disease can cause malabsorption of food and nutrients.

Individuals with Crohn’s disease may experience fatty stools and may sometimes see undigested food in their stool. For this reason, when someone is having a flare-up of this disease, it is recommended that they consume a low-residue diet or a diet consisting of easily digestible foods.

Food choices

Occasionally, seeing undigested food in your stool has nothing to do with your underlying health and everything to do with your dietary choices.

Many high-fiber foods cannot be fully broken down by the digestive tract and are more likely to show up as undigested food in the stool. Some examples include corn, seeds, and vegetable skins.

Read our guides on different types of stool, stool colors, and healthy vs. unhealthy stool for more.

Health risks associated with finding undigested food in poop

If you are frequently seeing undigested food in your stool, you may be at risk for additional health complications. Below are some of the most common complications to look out for.

Nutritional deficiencies

If undigested food is the result of a malabsorption issue, your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to function properly. This could lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals.

Malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies can have a negative impact on almost every body system leading to a wide array of symptoms ranging from weight loss to fatigue to mood disturbances.

Intestinal blockage

By now we have covered that high-fiber foods are more difficult to break down and may lead to partially or fully undigested food in the stool.

High-fiber foods can also lead to bulkier, larger stools. As a result, high-fiber diets can put someone at an increased risk of intestinal blockage.

Chronic inflammation

Consuming foods that are not easily digested can lead to chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. Chronic gut inflammation has been linked to symptoms such as abdominal pain, gas, and bloating.

How to prevent undigested food from appearing in poop

Undigested food in the poop may not always be preventable. However, there are some things you can try in hopes of preventing this symptom from occurring.

Address underlying conditions

If you have a condition that affects digestion, such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, or lactose intolerance, managing the condition through diet and medication can help reduce the presence of undigested food in your stool. Some of these conditions may also require medication management by a healthcare provider.

Chewing thoroughly

This may sound like common sense, but chewing foods thoroughly can help kick off the digestive process.

Taking the time to chew food more thoroughly will give your digestive system a better chance to break it down properly. This can be especially important when eating hard-to-digest foods like seeds, nuts, or fibrous vegetables.

Dietary changes

High-fiber foods and foods with hard-to-digest exterior shells are more likely to move through the GI tract undigested. Limiting foods like nuts, seeds, and corn can limit the appearance of undigested foods in the stool.

However, this should not prevent you from eating foods such as fruits and vegetables with indigestible skins just because you don’t like the appearance of them in your stool. Many of these high-fiber foods still provide significant nutritional value.

When you should see a doctor about undigested food in your poop

In most cases, finding undigested food in your stool is not cause for concern. However, if you notice any of the following signs, you should consider speaking with your healthcare provider.

You should see a doctor if:

• You consistently find undigested food in your stool over an extended period of time.
• You experience symptoms of malabsorption, such as frequent diarrhea, bloating, or nutrient deficiencies.
• You suspect you may have a food intolerance or allergy that is affecting your digestion.

You should go to the emergency room if:

• You experience severe abdominal pain or fever
• You have signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth, dizziness, or reduced urine output.
• You notice dark, or tarry black stools or a significant amount of blood in the stool.

Questions to ask your doctor about undigested food in your poop

• Is it normal to see undigested food in my stool?
• What could be the cause of undigested food in my stool?
• Does this put me at risk for any nutritional or vitamin deficiencies?
• Are there any dietary changes that I should make to help with my symptoms?

How a doctor may help treat undigested food in your poop

If it seems like the undigested food in your stool stems from reasons beyond dietary choices, a healthcare provider may be able to provide additional help.

Nutritional therapy

If your undigested food is linked to a malabsorption issue, a dietitian may help you adjust your diet to ensure you are getting the necessary nutrients.

This may also include adding vitamin supplements to make up for any deficiencies as recommended by your doctor.

Treat underlying conditions

Some underlying conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease may be linked to malabsorption and maldigestion.

Unfortunately, these conditions are chronic and often fail to be controlled by lifestyle changes alone. Consulting a healthcare provider for proper management of underlying conditions can help with the overall function of the digestive tract.

Frequently asked questions: undigested food in poop

If you are noticing undigested food in your poop, you probably have some questions. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this symptom.

Is undigested food in poop a sign of Crohn’s disease?

In some cases, undigested food may be a symptom of Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can lead to symptoms such as persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.

If you are diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and are frequently noticing undigested food in your stool, your healthcare provider will likely put you on a low-residue diet. Simply put, this means a diet consisting of foods that are easy to digest.

What if you’re having diarrhea and finding undigested food in your stool?

When you are experiencing diarrhea, food and stool are passing rapidly through the digestive tract and the intestines.

Because of the rapid transit, there is not enough time for digestive enzymes to fully break down the food and it is therefore expected to see undigested food in your stool when you are experiencing diarrhea. If your diarrhea persists for more than 48 hours, you should speak with your healthcare provider.

What if you’re finding undigested vegetables, such as corn, in your stool?

To put it briefly, this is normal. Vegetables with hard-to-digest or thick skins such as corn and tomatoes often pass through the gastrointestinal tract undigested and appear in the stool.

Conclusion

Finding undigested food in your stool can be concerning, but it's not always a sign of a serious health issue. Pay attention to other factors. Do you eat a lot of high-fiber foods, nuts, and seeds? Don’t panic, it’s probably just your diet. Are you experiencing additional symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, and abdominal pain? It may be time to see your healthcare provider.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Lane Thaut, DO.

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