Updated date: Why Does Corn Come Out Whole in My Poop?

Whenever you stand up from the toilet to flush, for some reason you are always compelled to look inside the bowl before sending last night's dinner down the pipe faster than bobsledder in Vancouver.

If corn was on the menu, you may find yourself asking the question, "Why does corn come out whole in my poop?"

Even though you've chewed the crap out of it (no pun intended), it's still there, virtually unchanged. In this article you will learn why corn comes out whole in your poop.

Did You Chew Your Food?

The easiest explanation for this would be that you did not chew the corn, but instead just swallowed all of the kernels whole. If so, this would be a great start to explaining why the corn appeared whole in your stool. Still, unless you're an infant, it's pretty likely you chewed your food. You're not that much of a glutton, are you? Yet the corn still appeared whole in your poop. An appearance is exactly what it was. Getting a little weird, I know, but hey, you Googled it, not me.

Why Does Corn Not Digest in Your Poop?

The hull (or outerlayer) of a corn kernel is made up mostly of cellulose. Cellulose is a sort of rubbery substance that does not break down easily when chewed. On the other hand, the innards of a corn kernel can be chewed rather easily.

That being said, when you chew corn, the outer layer stays intact while the insides of the kernel dissolve in your mouth. Now, picture the hull as a shriveled up empty sleeve—pretty easy to swallow, right? But still, why does it look whole in your poop? Let's continue, if you'd like, but I must warn you, it may get a little graphic.

Is Corn Bad for Digestion?

Humans lack the enzyme needed to break down cellulose. Basically, this means that the corn's hull (or empty sleeve) comes out the same color and form as when it went down your esophagus. In the process, these empty sleeves are being packed with the other things your body decided to discard today–in other words, more poop.

Does this mean corn is bad for digestion? In high quantities, yes. Because of the high amount of cellulose in corn, eating too much of it can cause cramps and gas. In small quantities, however, corn does not put too much of a burden on your digestive system. Other foods that are bad for digestive health in high quantities include:

10 Worst Foods for Digestive Health

Grease Processed food Chili peppers Chocolate Artificial sweeteners Alcohol Corn Coffee Acidic fruits Raw vegetables

These foods (and drinks) are the worst for digest health.

Is Corn Good for Your Health?

Corn is a good for your health. While a small percentage of corn is genetically modified, most is not. But even if it is genetically modified, there is no research that supports the theory that genetically modified foods are any less healthy than non-GMO foods.

As for calories, one ear of corn contains only about 100 calories, about the same as an apple. Adding butter and other fixings will make corn more fattening, but as it is, the starch-heavy, slow-to-digest characteristics of corn have been shown to help with weight control.

Corn also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that promote healthy vision, and corn's fiber content feeds good bacteria to your gut. What's more, corn contains B vitamins, iron, protein, and potassium, which are all essential to a properly functioning body.

Some believe that cooking corn robs it of its healthy aspect. In fact, the opposite is true. Cooking corn boosts its benefits, especially when it comes to antioxidants.

In short, corn is a very healthy food.

What Does Undigested Food in Your Stool Mean?

We know that corn appears undigested in your poop because cellulose is not easily digestible, but what if other foods appear undigested as well? According to Dr. John M. Wilkinson, this is not something to worry about. He writes:

"Occasionally, you may see undigested food fragments in stool. This usually is high-fiber vegetable matter, which normally isn't broken down and absorbed in your digestive tract. Undigested food in stool isn't a problem unless it's accompanied by persistent diarrhea, weight loss or other changes in your bowel habits. If you have such signs and symptoms, consult your doctor."

Why Does Corn Come Out in Your Poop? (Video)

© 2010 Barkley Rosehill

Melissa on May 18, 2020:

I love this ifo

Literally Who on January 29, 2020:

Why even mention genetically modified crops. The first search result on Google reveals that normal corn is far more toxic than genetically modified corn.

cherie on December 06, 2019:

ahhh kindly do your research, GMO's are incredibly detrimental, there is plenty of research to support staying far, far away from GMO"s if you want to avoid all kinds of autoimmune diseases, early heart disease, cancers...the list is impressive.

Angelina on May 13, 2019:

How come when I chew up corn after I’m done eating it and swallow it comes out A solid piece Like I just swallowed it and didn’t even chew it ?

Comical on February 15, 2019:

Raw vegetables are bad for digestive health? I'd like to see some resources on that one

iliikekitties on December 10, 2018:

wow i dont know why i googled this but you know i should more often because learning about what comes out AKA poop is very intresting

Joshua Highbaugh on May 31, 2018:

Learn something new everyday

Chill Doctor on May 04, 2018:

So can the corn be recycled?

your mom on April 24, 2018:

cool beans

Yomama on April 20, 2018:

Dats so coool

rihanna on April 10, 2018:

nasty like fr

Kim on March 10, 2018:

Interesting...but using the medical word stools would be appropriate

Mike on February 01, 2018:

Wrong. Humans cant digest cellulose so it's passed through without harm. Crazy how nobody knew this...

Daniel on January 30, 2018:

Wow this gives me sooooo much info

Matthew on January 24, 2018:

Thanks now i can poop in peace.

Amanda on December 14, 2017:

Interesting article!

Ella on December 12, 2017:

Article was ok would have been better if you didn’t write like you were talking to children so annoying

Misa on November 30, 2017:

Ok when u first saw this happen i was pretty scared but now knowing it isnt THAT bad i feel a little more comfortable

Noba on September 19, 2017:

When you eat corn later you able to go to toilet to poop don't forget to take your phone with you.Then if you finish poop careful don't plush it.Take picture of your poop. Then observation it....

Monkeyz on September 01, 2017:

I am a diabetic and yes, I can have corn at noon and have it start coming out of my body within hours! Undigested! (and what a stomach ache - I know, physical impossibility -

- let me tell you it isn't. I've been through countless upper gi barium tests and before I leave the test area, it too, is coming out of me. and a barium enema is a real blast - just ask the people in the room and those who had to clean it up) and yes, while I do chew the corn, some of them are whole. But, some days the corn comes out orange-ish. But then again, so does my Extended Release Metformin - hard as a rock since I had just eaten it with the corn. Corn has carbs which tend to raise sugar levels...

Mikey on September 08, 2016:

Heather.... you can copy the https: address and paste it in your email or anywhere else.

Towelie on September 06, 2016:

And dont forget to bring a towel

you wanna get high corn?

annonymous on June 24, 2016:

i sqeezed one and it was crunchy and dry even after going in the toilet water is this something else? i know i ate corn with my lunch that day but i dont think its supposed to digest that fast? my lunch was about 12 hrs before this happened to me

annonymous on June 24, 2016:

i sqeezed one and it was crunchy and dry even after going in the toilet water is this something else? i know i ate corn with my lunch that day but i dont think its supposed to digest that fast? my lunch was about 12 hrs before this happened to me

stupidw poop geeks on September 21, 2015:

you guysa re so nerdy cmon corn? really?

PoopMaster on August 23, 2015:

I can poop corn like a pro. I bet you're all jealous...

jaden on July 18, 2015:

Thats good

Anonymous on May 01, 2015:

Ok im weirded out

L R on April 23, 2015:

Thanks for the information this is a story I have to tell when my mom was making corn I ate two and when I pooped I saw corn it came out excatly like corn on the cob

Elvis Presly on March 31, 2015:

The more you know

Bunny on March 28, 2015:

Wellllllllp. You learn something new everyday just by googling.

tyasia on October 23, 2014:

I love pooop !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pat on April 23, 2014:

Ok, what if you are getting these corn like shapes in your stool, but you are NOT eating any corn? I squeezed one and it was soft and smoochy, yellow all the way through. I thought it was fat deposits. Then I was wondering if it could be meds that I take. No clue here! Just real weird and glad to know I'm not the only one!

Observater on March 10, 2014:

I have noticed olives too are not easily broken down Like corn

Jim on January 13, 2014:

Ok jojo that's just wrong

But very interesting

Tom on August 18, 2013:

Dear "just me", I'm not sure why you reacted the way you did, the person pretty much said that the article was perfect except for one grammatical error. If he had attempted to discredit the piece because of simple grammatical errors, I'd be on your side- alas, this is not the case. I think you picked the wrong Grammar Nazi instance to triumph.

Davon on April 30, 2013:

"Getting a little weird...I know, but hey you googled it not me."

Touché random blogger, Touché...

Really loved the article, I was reading this as I was eating corn and said to myself, "I'm going to chew the $h#^ out of my corn and see if it survives the journey now."

:D

. on March 10, 2013:

this would be the perfect article if you used the right "you're"

stephanie on January 21, 2013:

haha

Puckles on January 07, 2013:

I'm just grateful you didn't include pics.

Barkley Rosehill (author) from Philadelphia on August 14, 2012:

Heather, thanks for the props on my writing skills lol. Much appreciated. I am sorry that you couldn't find a share button. The facebook and twitter buttons are usually aligned to the right toward the top of your screen. However Hubpages is constantly changing things up in order to keep things fresh so perhaps when you visited either the page or site was under maintenance. I apologize for that. I'm glad you got a good laugh, and I wish you could have educated your friends on facebook with my silly article.

Heather on August 13, 2012:

Aww, I wanted to share this, but there's no button that I can see. I love how you wrote this, I laughed harder than ever and learned a thing or two at the same time :)

Gina on April 03, 2012:

Thanks for writing something humerous and I think we need to be besties cause you are pretty funny! Thanks for the info on the poop and corn mystery

anonymous on February 17, 2012:

at above: ewwww haha interesting

JoJo on February 02, 2012:

I squeezed one, and sure enough it was full of poop, even though the outside was bright yellow;-) Leigh Ann

kirsteno on May 13, 2011:

Okay, this was great! I can't believe someone would write a hub on it, but I read the whole thing so what does that say about me??

The Tomato Gardener on March 05, 2011:

Lol. Ya your right I have always wondered how corn comes out whole even after chewing the crap out of it.

Dave Cald on September 17, 2010:

Wow,I really do learn something new everyday. Thanks for the scoop on poop!