I received this question from my brother-in-law, who historically has been great about asking me nutrition questions as they relate to bowel habits. Which is good! More people should be concerned about their poop. Few people like to talk about it, but it is extremely important.
For example, when you see undigested food in your stool, it’s usually a sign that something in the digestive tract is not working properly. And what food do many people see in their stools? Corn.
Alright, before we dive into this question though, I do want to briefly go over some reasons why you might see undigested food in your stool:
Issues in the upper GI system
Stomach acid deficiency, which leads to a deficiency in digestive enzymes, leading to undigested food
Digestive enzyme deficiencies
Gall bladder issues
Issues in the lower GI system
Diarrhea: Often when diarrhea occurs, food moves through the GI system too quickly and does not have the chance to properly digest
Healthy gut bacteria deficiency in the colon (bacteria digest and breakdown some matter we don’t have enzymes for, like fiber)
*If you notice anything abnormal about your stool and/or digestion, I suggest making an appointment with your doctor and/or dietitian*
This is important because when we do not properly digest our food, we do not gain the nutrients from that food, and instead we, like my brother-in-law said, just poop it out. In severe cases, this can lead to malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies.
So, because we might see corn in our stools, does that mean there’s a problem in our digestive tract? Or that we aren’t absorbing any nutrition from it?
Not necessarily. And here’s why:
First, let’s look at what nutrients are in corn in the first place.
1 cob of yellow corn provides:
12% DV of pantothenic acid
8% DV Phosphorus
8% DV vitamin B3
7% DV fiber
6% DV vitamin B6
Source: whfoods.org (1)
Not the most nutrient dense food, but still a good source of the vitamins listed. Pantothenic acid in particular is necessary for energy production and fat metabolism in the body. I’d say that’s pretty important! Some people believe there’s no nutritional value in corn at all, which is simply not the case. Yellow, blue, and purple corn also have significant antioxidant profiles due to their deep pigments, which are generally known to reduce oxidative damage brought about by inflammation.
The unique digestion of corn lies with it’s high insoluble to soluble fiber ratio.
Insoluble fiber
Not water-soluble
More abundant in non-starchy vegetables and fruit skins
Helps move stool through and out the digestive tract
Soluble fiber
Water soluble
More abundant in starchy vegetables and fruit flesh
Provides bulk to stools
Feeds healthy gut bacteria
For more information about the different types of fiber, read:
What we see in our stool is most of the undigested corn hull, which contains a high content of insoluble fiber. Our bodies do not make the enzymes that break down fiber. That’s what bacteria are for, and most bacteria do not ferment and break down insoluble fiber.
From The World’s Healthiest Foods:
“Corn is somewhat well-known for its high ratio of insoluble to soluble fiber. For example, when people notice that corn hulls may not seem to fully digest after eating, what they are noticing is that the hulls contain plentiful amounts of insoluble fibers, including celluloses and hemicelluloses. Of course, many parts of the corn kernels do fully digest, and researchers are continuing to expand our understanding about corn and its digestion, especially of its fibers. While the exact steps in human digestion of whole corn are not yet clear, different components in the corn fibers—for example, arabinoxylans in the hemicellulose category of fibers—may be broken down by bacteria in our digestive tract and converted into health-supportive substances. The bottom line here is simple: just because corn's fiber content falls overwhelmingly into the insoluble category does not mean that corn fiber fails to provide us with health benefits. Future research should help clarify exactly how corn fibers interact with bacteria in our digestive tract when we enjoy freshly steamed corn in our meals.” (1)
So, the only part we don’t digest from corn is the hull, but we do, however, retain the other nutrients it provides. If you see corn in your stool, know this is normal and your digestive tract is still running smoothly provided you do not notice any other issues. Some people do not digest corn very well, but this is individual. In general, corn, mainly in it’s fresh form, can certainly be part of a healthy eating pattern.
Sources:
1. Corn, Fresh Sweet. The World's Healthiest Foods. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=90
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