What foods aren't digested well by the body?
#18841 - 08/28/03 09:08 AM
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What foods aren't digested well by the body? I've heard that corn is often found in the stool b/c it does not get digested by the body, as well as many nuts (i.e. peanuts, almonds, etc.). What other foods are similar? Is this true even if you chew them very very well?
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Hi - What you're talking about are foods that are high in insoluble fiber. Fiber (both soluble and insoluble) is non-digestible, and passes through the body intact. It is broken down by chewing, digestive acids, etc. but the fiber component of foods is not itself digested. That's why you'll see kernel corn, peas, etc. pass through intact sometimes.
This doesn't mean you're not getting the nutrition from these foods, by the way. The other elements in them (the carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins/minerals, etc.) are digested, and you're absorbing the calories and nutrients. The insoluble fiber itself is a GI stimulant, and increases the rate of transit for these foods (which is why they can trigger IBS attacks).
What's interesting here is that the toughest foods for the body to actually digest are saturated fats and red meat/dairy proteins - and they have zero fiber. They're also triggers, but they're safe to avoid completely, unlike insoluble fiber foods which are very healthy and need to be eaten - but carefully.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Heather,
This is interesting. I seem to do worse with foods that are high in fat as well as meat and dairy proteins, but not as bad with insoluble fiber foods. Would this be because they are harder to digest?
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Lorna 
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Hi - this may just be an area of individual variation, but it might also be HOW you're eating the insoluble fiber. It's virtually impossible to do anything to make meat/dairy/high fats easier to digest. But, it's really easy to do this with the fibers, by just cooking, diceing, pureeing, them and adding to a soluble fiber base. You could eat a lot of insoluble fiber this way without problems. I eat a ton of it - but, verrrrrrry carefully.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Lorna
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