Nutrient Absorption and Digestion

Hi, folks.

I have learned a lot in recent years about what our stools tell us, and I'm noticing that I pass a lot of undigested food bits - usually tiny bits of kale and occasionally carrot. The bits are very small but still recognizable. This makes me worry that I'm not absorbing nutrients properly - is that a fair concern, or are a few recognizable bits normal?

Any ideas for optimizing digestion? Or possible causes?

My bowel situation is very regular, comfortable, smells normal, healthy texture, no reflux, no pain, no nausea, no gas, no bloating, no belching, no rumbling, good appetite, etc. I have no other digestive or GI tract symptoms aside from my stools being slightly paler than they used to be, like the color of peanut butter.

Thanks!

I always thought that that was pretty normal? Georgia hunters suggestion about chewing food better was a smart one.

I know that when I wasn’t absorbing food when my sibo was the worst I lost A LOT of weight (30 lbs) and my stools were a mess

i have somewhat pale coloured stools and undigested food since getting lyme.

i think its due to lower bile flow and probably a reduction in pancreatic enzymes.
all of our internal organs work less well when you have lyme it seems

you could try digestive enzymes and HCL tablets - i think it helps somewhat.
no harm in focussing on chewing properly too - its easy to just wolf food down without thinking

Hey, saraeli:

It was because of you and this thread that I decided to post the following:

FREE: Digestion SOS Docusummit (June 21-29, 2021)
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=4252515

Though I'm skeptical of many of the advertised "experts," I'm also aware of the remote possibility that you might find something helpful, regarding the initial questions and symptoms you posed.

My non-expert opinion is your gut health seems enviously healthy! Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about the occasional bits of undigested food, unless you're showing any overt signs of nutrient deficiencies.

Otherwise, my understanding is that nutrient absorption fluctuates, depending on what the body needs at any given time. (The gut becomes more or less permeable, as one example, to uptake more of less of various nutrients.) There's also factors like the composition of meals -- such as ingesting some fat with foods containing the fat-soluble vitamins, pairing Vitamin C-rich foods with iron, and other things you already know.

Following is an article that may be worth considering. It's written by a board-certified, licensed nutritionist that I find to be level-headed:

How Much Nutrition Do You Absorb from Food?
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/know-your-nutrients/how-much-nutrition-do-you-absorb-from-food

There are also varying opinions about the nutrient composition of soil, the healthfulness of organic vs. non-organic foods, the debate whether modern foods are less nutrient dense than 50-100 years ago, etc. As with most topics, there are endless wormholes down which one can travel -- which I do not recommend.

In the end, even if the soil is less healthy and foods are less nutrient dense, the best solution is simply to push a higher volume of food through the body...while also remembering that the body controls absorption. Fortunately, it seems that the foods richest in beneficial compounds are also those lowest in calories.

If only ice cream were a vegetable...

Take care,
The Dude