Floating Poop and Undigested Food in Stool: What They Mean

The videos follow a familiar script: a phone held over a toilet bowl, a dramatic pause, and a caption warning that if your stool floats, your body is “not absorbing nutrients.” As of spring 2025, that claim has pushed floating poop into search trends alongside questions about undigested food in stool and whether a greenish or pale color means the liver is in trouble. The attention is not entirely misplaced. Doctors do look at what ends up in the bowl. They just read it very differently from a 30-second clip.

Part of the renewed interest traces to laboratory work, published in 2022, in which researchers showed that mice raised without gut bacteria produced stools that always sank, while colonizing them with ordinary gut microbes made the stools float. The finding was neat, mechanistic and widely shared, often stripped of its most important point: the float came from bacterial gas, not from fat.

So here is the calm version. What floats, what passes through whole, what changes color, and which of those things actually deserve a doctor’s attention.

What makes floating poop float?

Stool floats for the same reason a cork does: it holds enough trapped gas to be less dense than water. Two things can make that happen. The first, and by a wide margin the most common, is gas produced when gut bacteria ferment carbohydrates that the small intestine did not fully break down. The second is fat, which is lighter than water and which, in large amounts, also changes how stool looks and smells.

Fermentation is a normal part of digestion. Fiber, which is the part of plant foods the human small intestine cannot digest, travels to the colon largely intact. There, trillions of bacteria break it down and release hydrogen, carbon dioxide and, in some people, methane. Some of that gas leaves as flatulence. Some stays folded into the stool as tiny bubbles, and a stool with enough bubbles floats.

This is why a bowl full of floaters often follows a week of extra beans, lentils, broccoli or a new fiber supplement. It also explains why the effect comes and goes. Change what you eat and the gas content of your stool changes within a day or two.

The evidence for the gas explanation is old and surprisingly direct. In a small experiment published in the early 1970s, researchers degassed floating stools in a sealed container and watched them sink; fat content did not predict whether a stool floated. MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s consumer resource, still summarizes the issue the same way: floating stools are usually caused by excess gas and are not, by themselves, a sign of illness.

Fat-related floating does exist, and it matters. It just announces itself with other features, which the next sections cover.

What changed recently

Nothing about the physiology of floating stool changed. What changed is how often people look, and how confidently social media interprets what they see. Three dated developments shaped the current conversation.

First, the 2022 mouse study mentioned above gave the old gas theory a modern, microbiome-flavored update. Researchers compared germ-free mice, which have no gut bacteria, with mice carrying normal microbes. Germ-free stools sank every time; colonized stools floated roughly half the time. The study identified gas-producing bacterial species as the likely drivers. It was conducted in mice, not people, which places it at the bottom of the evidence ladder for human health claims, but it was widely covered and gave the “floating means something” idea a scientific-sounding hook.

Second, consumer health references have quietly converged. MedlinePlus, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic all now carry plain-language pages on floating stools, undigested food in stool and steatorrhea (the medical term for excess fat in stool). All three say the same two things: isolated floating is usually benign, and persistent greasy, pale, foul-smelling stool deserves evaluation. That consistency is itself useful. When independent institutions agree without a trial to point to, the agreement reflects long clinical experience, which is expert-opinion-level evidence.

Third, awareness of celiac disease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency has grown. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates that roughly 1 in 100 people worldwide has celiac disease, and that many remain undiagnosed. Steatorrhea is one of its classic presentations. The result is a reasonable public question, “could my stool be telling me something?”, answered too often with an unreasonable certainty.

Is floating poop a sign of malabsorption?

Occasionally, yes. Usually, no. The distinction rests on company: what else the floating stool brings with it.

Malabsorption means the small intestine is failing to absorb nutrients it should. When fat is the nutrient being missed, the unabsorbed portion passes into the colon and out of the body, producing steatorrhea. Clinicians describe it with a recognizable cluster of features. The stool is bulky and pale, often described as putty-colored or light tan. It looks greasy or oily, sometimes leaving a film on the water. It smells markedly worse than usual. It tends to stick to the bowl and resist flushing. It happens day after day, not once after a chili dinner.

Cleveland Clinic’s steatorrhea page lists the common underlying causes: conditions that damage the lining of the small intestine, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease; conditions that reduce digestive enzymes, such as chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis; problems with bile flow from the liver or gallbladder, since bile is needed to break fat into absorbable droplets; and infections such as giardiasis, caused by the parasite Giardia.

Notice what is missing from that list. Normal variation. A single floating stool, or a run of them that coincides with a dietary shift, is not malabsorption. Fat malabsorption severe enough to float stool is almost always accompanied by weight loss, fatigue, bloating, cramping or deficiencies such as low iron or low vitamin D that show up on blood tests.

So the honest answer is conditional. Floating plus greasy plus pale plus persistent is a pattern a doctor should see. Floating alone, in someone who feels well and whose weight is stable, is a fermentation story.

Undigested food in stool: what is normal?

Finding recognizable food in the bowl can be startling. It is also, in most cases, a sign that your digestive system is working as designed on a food it was never going to fully break down.

The human gut lacks the enzyme to digest cellulose, the tough structural fiber in plant cell walls. Corn kernels, tomato skins, pepper skins, whole flaxseeds, sesame seeds, nuts, and the fibrous strings of celery or kale all contain cellulose-rich outer layers. The soft interior may be absorbed while the shell passes through intact, which is why a corn kernel can look whole on the way out even though its starchy center has been digested.

Mayo Clinic’s guidance on undigested food in stool makes the point directly: it is usually not a cause for concern unless it comes with other symptoms, such as persistent diarrhea, weight loss or changes in bowel habits. Three everyday factors make it more likely.

• Chewing. Digestion begins in the mouth, and large, hurried mouthfuls give the stomach and small intestine a harder job. Food swallowed in big pieces is more likely to arrive in the colon recognizable.
• Transit time. Food typically takes between about 10 and 73 hours to travel from mouth to toilet, a range Mayo Clinic cites from studies of healthy adults. Faster transit, as with mild diarrhea, leaves less time for breakdown.
• Fiber load. A sudden jump in vegetables, seeds or whole grains means more cellulose and more visible remnants.

What is not normal is undigested food appearing frequently alongside oily stool, cramping, bloating that does not settle, or unintended weight loss. That combination suggests the problem is not the food but the gut’s ability to process it, and it belongs in the “see a doctor” category covered later.

Why does corn come out whole, and does that mean I am not absorbing nutrients?

Corn is the poster child for this worry because its kernels are so recognizable. Each one is wrapped in a pericarp, a hull made of cellulose and other indigestible fibers. Chewing cracks some hulls; the rest arrive in the colon intact. Inside, the starch and sugars were very likely digested and absorbed in the small intestine, which is why the kernel that reappears is often a hollow or flattened shell rather than a plump one.

The same logic applies to other “survivors.” Whole flaxseeds pass through nearly untouched unless they are ground, which is why nutrition advice usually recommends ground flax for omega-3 fats and lignans. Quinoa’s outer coat, bean skins, the papery layer around a peanut, and grape or blueberry skins behave similarly. Seeing them does not mean the meal’s protein, carbohydrate or fat went to waste.

There is one honest caveat. People who routinely swallow food with minimal chewing, whether from eating quickly or because of dental problems, do give their gut a larger mechanical task. Smaller, better-chewed pieces present more surface area to digestive enzymes. Chewing thoroughly is not a treatment for any disease, but it is a reasonable habit that reduces the visible-food surprise.

The question to ask is not “did I see food?” but “am I otherwise well?” Stable weight, normal energy, no persistent diarrhea and no greasy stool make undigested plant fragments a curiosity rather than a symptom. If recognizable food appears alongside those warning features, especially in a child who is not growing as expected, a clinician will want to look further.

Stool color: what the shades really tell you

Brown is the default for a reason. When old red blood cells are recycled, the liver produces bilirubin, a yellow pigment that is secreted into bile. Gut bacteria convert bilirubin into stercobilin, which is brown. Almost everything else is detail layered on that base.

Mayo Clinic’s stool color guide is a useful reality check: most color variation is diet-related, and only a few shades carry medical weight.

Green usually means stool moved through the colon quickly, before bacteria finished converting the pigment, or that you ate a lot of leafy greens, green food coloring or iron supplements. Yellow, especially greasy and foul-smelling yellow, can reflect excess fat and overlaps with the steatorrhea pattern. Pale, clay-colored or white stool suggests too little bile is reaching the intestine, which can happen with a blocked bile duct, certain liver conditions, or some medicines; MedlinePlus flags this one as worth prompt attention, particularly with dark urine or yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).

Black, sticky and tar-like stool can indicate bleeding higher in the digestive tract, since blood turns black as it is digested. Iron supplements, bismuth-containing medicines and black licorice also darken stool, which is why context matters and why a doctor will ask what you have been taking. Bright red streaks most often come from hemorrhoids or small tears, but red stool always deserves a medical conversation, especially if it is more than a streak or keeps recurring.

Color is most informative when read with texture and persistence. A green stool after a spinach-heavy weekend is diet. Pale, greasy stool for two weeks is a pattern.

What the evidence actually says, graded

Readers deserve to know how firm the ground is under each claim, so here is the hierarchy applied to this topic.

Floating stool is mainly caused by gas, not fat. Supported by direct human experimentation (a small physiological study from the 1970s that degassed stools and measured fat), by a 2022 animal study showing microbial gas drives flotation, and by consistent expert statements from MedlinePlus, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Grade: strong mechanistic evidence plus expert consensus, though no large randomized trial exists and none would be ethical or necessary.

Persistent greasy, pale, foul-smelling stool indicates fat malabsorption. Supported by decades of observational and diagnostic data; measuring fecal fat has been a standard laboratory test for malabsorption for generations. Grade: strong, based on observational and diagnostic-accuracy evidence.

Undigested plant food in stool is normal. Based on basic physiology (humans lack cellulase) and clinical experience; there are no trials, because none are needed to establish that cellulose is indigestible. Grade: established physiology plus expert opinion.

Floating stool on its own predicts a gut disorder. Not supported. Floating is a non-specific finding reported by many healthy people. Grade: viral claim without supporting evidence.

Stool color reliably diagnoses liver or gut disease. Partially supported. Pale stool with jaundice and black tarry stool are recognized warning signs backed by observational evidence; green or slightly yellow stool is mostly dietary. Grade: strong for the specific red-flag colors, weak for the rest.

One pattern should stand out. The warning signs that matter are combinations and persistence, not single observations. That is not hedging; it is what the data show.

Conditions that can cause persistent floating or greasy stool

When floating stool is part of a persistent pattern, clinicians think through a short list of mechanisms. Each has a different story.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction to gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye, that damages the small intestine’s absorptive lining. The NHS and NIDDK both list pale, fatty, foul-smelling stool among its classic symptoms, alongside bloating, fatigue, weight loss and anemia. Many adults have subtler presentations, which is one reason diagnosis is often delayed.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency means the pancreas is not producing enough digestive enzymes, particularly lipase, which breaks down fat. Chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis and pancreatic surgery are common causes. Steatorrhea is the hallmark.

Bile flow problems. Bile emulsifies fat so enzymes can act on it. Gallstones blocking a duct, liver disease or certain medicines can reduce bile delivery, producing pale stool and, often, dark urine.

Giardiasis, an intestinal infection with the parasite Giardia, typically acquired from contaminated water, causes greasy floating stools, cramps and bloating that can last weeks.

Lactose intolerance and other carbohydrate malabsorption. When the small intestine cannot digest lactose, fructose or sugar alcohols, those sugars reach the colon and are fermented, producing gas, loose stool and, yes, floaters. This is a fermentation mechanism rather than a fat one, and the stool is usually not greasy.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, in which excessive bacteria colonize the small intestine, can cause gas, bloating and sometimes fat malabsorption.

None of these can be diagnosed from the bowl. They are diagnosed by a clinician who takes a history, examines you and orders the right tests. The list is here so the symptoms make sense, not so you can match yourself to one.

Everyday foods and habits that make stool float

If floating stool is usually a gas story, the practical question is where the gas comes from. Most of it traces to fermentable carbohydrates and swallowed air.

Beans, lentils and chickpeas contain oligosaccharides that humans cannot digest, which bacteria ferment enthusiastically. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts contain similar compounds plus sulfur, which adds odor. Whole grains, bran and fiber supplements raise the overall fermentable load. Onions, garlic, apples, pears and stone fruits carry fructose and fructans that some people absorb poorly. Sugar alcohols, found in many sugar-free gums, candies and “keto” products, are notorious: sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol pass largely unabsorbed and are fermented in the colon.

Dairy is a factor for the large share of adults worldwide whose lactase production declines after childhood. A milky coffee habit or a cheese-heavy week can translate into gassier, lighter stool.

Habits matter too. Carbonated drinks deliver gas directly. Eating quickly, chewing gum and drinking through straws increase swallowed air. Rapid dietary changes, such as starting a high-fiber plan all at once, give the colon a fermentation surge before the bacterial community adjusts, which it typically does within a few weeks.

The point is not that these foods are bad. Many of them are exactly what dietary guidance recommends; most adults eat well under the roughly 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day that US guidelines suggest, and the fermentation that makes stool float is the same process that feeds a healthy colon. A floating stool after a lentil-heavy day is, if anything, evidence that the fiber arrived where it was supposed to.

Gas, fat or fiber? A side-by-side comparison

Because the same bowl observation can have very different meanings, it helps to lay the patterns next to each other. Use this as orientation, not as a diagnostic tool; only a clinician can tell you which column applies.

Observation	Gas-related floating	Fat-related floating (steatorrhea)	Undigested food
Appearance	Normal brown, normal or slightly soft form, may show small bubbles	Pale, bulky, greasy or oily sheen, may leave a film on the water	Normal stool with visible fragments such as corn, seeds, skins
Smell	Usual, sometimes gassier after beans or cruciferous vegetables	Distinctly stronger and more unpleasant than usual	Usual
Flushing	Flushes normally	Often sticks to the bowl, hard to flush	Flushes normally
Timing	Comes and goes with diet; often after a high-fiber or dairy-heavy day	Persistent, most days for weeks	After meals rich in high-cellulose plants
Accompanying features	Mild bloating or flatulence; otherwise well, weight stable	Weight loss, fatigue, cramps, bloating, sometimes anemia or deficiencies	None, unless combined with the fat column
Most common context	Dietary fiber, legumes, sugar alcohols, lactose	Celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, bile flow problems, giardiasis	Cellulose-rich foods, fast eating, quick transit
Reasonable next step	Observe for a week or two; note diet	Book a medical review	Chew well; observe; seek review only if other symptoms appear

Two columns are reassuring and one is not. The table is worth returning to when a new observation prompts worry: ask which column the whole picture fits, not just the first row.

Common myths about floating poop

The viral versions of this topic get a few things consistently wrong. Correcting them takes less time than the videos do.

Myth: Floating stool means you are not absorbing nutrients. Floating is a density effect, and gas is the usual cause. Fat malabsorption does cause floating, but it comes with grease, pallor, odor and persistence. A floating stool in a healthy person eating plenty of fiber is the expected result of fermentation.

Myth: Healthy stool always sinks. There is no evidence for a universal rule. The 2022 animal work found roughly half of stools from mice with normal gut bacteria floated, and surveys of healthy adults consistently find a substantial minority report floaters.

Myth: Undigested food means your digestion is “weak” and needs enzyme supplements. Cellulose is indigestible for every human, regardless of digestive health. Enzyme replacement is a prescription treatment for diagnosed pancreatic insufficiency, decided by a clinician after testing, not a response to seeing corn.

Myth: Green stool means infection or liver disease. Green stool most often reflects fast transit or green foods and pigments. The colors that signal liver or bile problems are pale or clay-colored, especially with jaundice.

Myth: You can diagnose celiac disease or pancreatic disease from the toilet. You cannot, and trying to can backfire. Starting a gluten-free diet before celiac blood tests, for example, can make those tests falsely negative and delay a real diagnosis. The bowl can raise a question; only testing answers it.

Myth: A “gut cleanse” or detox will fix floating stool. No reputable evidence supports cleanses for any digestive symptom, and laxative-based products can cause the very loose, gassy stools people are trying to avoid.

How doctors investigate persistent floating or greasy stool

If the pattern warrants a visit, it helps to know what happens next, because the process is methodical rather than alarming.

The appointment starts with questions. How long has this been going on? What does the stool look like, and does it flush? Any weight change, fatigue, abdominal pain, or new medicines or supplements? Any recent travel or untreated water exposure? Any family history of celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatic problems? A brief physical examination follows, checking for abdominal tenderness, signs of weight loss and, if color is a concern, signs of jaundice.

Testing is then matched to the suspected mechanism. Blood tests can screen for celiac disease, check iron, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D, and assess liver function and inflammation. If celiac blood tests are positive, confirmation usually involves an endoscopy with small-bowel biopsy; the NHS and NIDDK both stress that patients should keep eating gluten until testing is complete so results are accurate.

A stool sample can be analyzed for fat content, for fecal elastase (an enzyme whose low level points to pancreatic insufficiency), for infections including Giardia, and for calprotectin, a marker of intestinal inflammation. Breath tests measure hydrogen or methane after a sugar drink and can identify lactose malabsorption or bacterial overgrowth. Imaging of the pancreas, liver or bile ducts is reserved for cases where those organs are suspected.

Most people who go through this process are reassured rather than diagnosed with something serious. When a condition is found, the specific treatment, whether a dietary change, enzyme replacement, an anti-parasitic medicine or treatment of a bile duct problem, is chosen and supervised by the treating clinician. There is no self-directed version of this pathway that works as well.

When to see a doctor

Most floating stool, visible food and color change can be safely watched for a week or two while you note what you have been eating. Some findings should not wait. Arrange a medical review promptly if you notice any of the following.

• Greasy, pale, foul-smelling stool that persists for more than about two weeks, or that sticks to the bowl and is hard to flush.
• Unintentional weight loss, especially alongside any stool change.
• Diarrhea lasting more than a few days in a child, or more than two weeks in an adult, or any diarrhea with signs of dehydration such as dizziness, very dark urine or reduced urination.
• Pale or clay-colored stool together with dark urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or itching, which can indicate a bile flow problem.
• Black, tarry stool that is not explained by iron supplements or bismuth-containing medicines.
• Blood in or on the stool, or blood on the paper that recurs or is more than a streak.
• Persistent abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, or bloating that does not settle.
• New bowel changes, including persistent floating or greasy stool, in a child who is not growing or gaining weight as expected.
• Ongoing fatigue, breathlessness or pallor, which can reflect anemia from malabsorption.

Seek urgent or emergency care for large amounts of blood, black stool with faintness or a racing heart, severe abdominal pain, or signs of significant dehydration.

If you take any prescribed medicine and suspect it is affecting your stool, do not stop or adjust it on your own; raise it with the prescriber, who can weigh the benefit against the side effect. Every decision about testing and treatment described in this article belongs to you and your clinician together, informed by your history rather than by a general rule.

What you can sensibly do at home while you observe

None of the following treats a disease, and none replaces the review described above when red flags are present. They are the low-risk steps that help most people make sense of what they are seeing.

Keep a short diary for one to two weeks. Note what you ate, roughly when, and what the stool looked like: floating or sinking, color, form, odor, and whether it flushed easily. The Bristol stool chart, a seven-point scale from hard lumps (type 1) to watery (type 7) used widely by clinicians, gives a shared vocabulary; types 3 and 4 are generally considered typical. A diary turns a vague worry into a pattern, and a pattern is what a clinician can actually work with.

If you have recently increased fiber, give your gut a few weeks to adapt rather than retreating. Fermentation surges settle as the bacterial community adjusts, and the long-term benefits of adequate fiber for bowel regularity and heart health are well established across large observational studies.

Chew thoroughly and slow down at meals. This reduces swallowed air and gives digestive enzymes a head start. Notice whether dairy, sugar-free products or carbonated drinks line up with gassier days. Drink enough fluid, since fiber works best with water.

Resist the pull of restriction experiments. Cutting out gluten before testing can mask celiac disease; eliminating whole food groups on the basis of a floater is a poor trade. Equally, resist enzyme supplements or “gut cleanses” bought on the strength of a video. If your diary shows a persistent pattern from the fat column of the table, or any red flag appears, the next step is an appointment, with the diary in hand.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my poop float sometimes but not always?

Because the gas content of your stool changes with what you eat. Beans, cruciferous vegetables, whole grains, dairy in people who are lactose intolerant, and sugar-free products with sugar alcohols all increase fermentation in the colon, and the resulting gas bubbles make stool less dense than water. On days with less fermentable food, the same person’s stool sinks. This back-and-forth pattern is typical of diet-related floating and is not a sign of disease.

Is undigested food in stool a sign of a digestive problem?

Usually not. Recognizable food in stool is most often cellulose-rich plant material such as corn, seeds, nuts or vegetable skins, which no human can digest. Eating quickly or a faster-than-usual transit time makes it more visible. It becomes a concern only when it appears regularly alongside greasy stool, persistent diarrhea, bloating, unintended weight loss, or poor growth in a child, in which case a clinician should assess the cause.

What does greasy or oily floating stool mean?

Greasy, pale, foul-smelling stool that floats and is hard to flush suggests steatorrhea, meaning excess fat is passing unabsorbed. Common underlying causes include celiac disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, problems with bile flow, and the parasitic infection giardiasis. Because these conditions need specific tests and treatments, persistent greasy stool should be evaluated by a doctor rather than managed at home.

Does floating poop mean I am not absorbing nutrients?

On its own, no. Floating is a density effect and is most often caused by gas, which has nothing to do with nutrient absorption. Fat malabsorption can also cause floating, but it brings other features: greasy appearance, pale color, strong odor, persistence over weeks, and usually weight loss, fatigue or deficiencies on blood tests. A floating stool in someone who feels well and whose weight is stable is not evidence of malabsorption.

What stool color changes should worry me?

Two colors deserve prompt attention. Pale, clay-colored or white stool can mean too little bile is reaching the intestine, especially when paired with dark urine or yellowing skin or eyes. Black, tarry stool can indicate bleeding higher in the digestive tract, unless explained by iron supplements or bismuth-containing medicines. Bright red blood should also be discussed with a doctor. Green or mildly yellow stool is usually related to diet or fast transit.

Can a high-fiber diet cause floating poop?

Yes, and it is one of the most common causes. Fiber reaches the colon undigested, where bacteria ferment it and release hydrogen, carbon dioxide and sometimes methane. Some of that gas stays trapped in the stool, making it float. The effect is often strongest in the first weeks after increasing fiber and tends to settle as the gut’s bacterial community adapts. It is a sign the fiber is doing its job, not a reason to cut back.

How long should I wait before seeing a doctor about floating stool?

If the stool is otherwise normal and you feel well, observing for one to two weeks while noting your diet is reasonable. See a doctor sooner if the stool is greasy, pale and foul-smelling, if diarrhea lasts more than a few days in a child or two weeks in an adult, or if you have weight loss, blood or black stool, severe pain, fever, or signs of jaundice. Those features change the picture from dietary to medical.

Can celiac disease cause floating poop and undigested food in stool?

It can. Celiac disease damages the small intestine’s lining, reducing its ability to absorb fat and other nutrients, which produces pale, greasy, floating stool and can leave food less fully processed. Other common symptoms include bloating, fatigue, anemia and weight loss, though some adults have subtle presentations. Diagnosis requires blood tests and usually a biopsy, and health agencies advise continuing to eat gluten until testing is finished so results are accurate.

Why is there a film or oil on the toilet water after I go?

An oily film on the water is one of the more specific signs of fat in the stool. Occasionally it follows an unusually fatty meal or certain weight-loss medicines that block fat absorption, which a prescriber will have explained. If it happens repeatedly without an obvious explanation, especially with pale, bulky or foul-smelling stool, it points toward malabsorption and should be reviewed by a doctor, who may test the stool for fat and pancreatic enzymes.

Does swallowing air make stool float?

It can contribute. Air swallowed while eating quickly, chewing gum, drinking through straws or consuming carbonated drinks adds gas to the digestive tract. Much of it is burped or passed, but some travels through and can increase the gas content of stool. Slowing down at meals and limiting fizzy drinks are low-risk habits that reduce this effect. Swallowed air is a minor factor compared with fermentation, but for some people it tips the balance.

References

• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Stools – floating
• NIH NIDDK: Celiac Disease
• NHS: Coeliac disease

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.