Is It Normal To See Tomato Skin In Stool? (And What To Do)

It might be surprising to see pieces of tomato skin in your poop. You might think this is a sign of a health issue. But, is it really a problem when you find bits of tomato peel in your poop?

Tomatoes have a tough outer skin. Some of this skin might not get fully chewed when you eat tomatoes. Seeing a couple of small red pieces of tomato skin in your poop is often not a big deal. However, if you see a lot, it might mean there’s another problem happening.

Why Do You See Tomato Skins in Your Poop?

If there’s a bit of tomato peel in your poop, it just shows that your body didn’t completely digest the tomato’s tough skin. This is normal. But if you often find a lot of tomato skin in your poop, it could be because of these reasons:

1. Not Chewing Well Enough

Chewing your food well is the first step in digestion. If you eat tomatoes quickly and don’t chew them well, you might end up with bigger pieces in your poop. Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly helps break down your food better.

2. Not Enough Stomach Acid

Your stomach uses acid and other chemicals to break food into smaller parts. Some people’s stomachs don’t make enough acid, which can lead to bigger bits of food, like tomato skins, not being digested well.

3. Slow Digestion

Digestion should move food and waste smoothly through your body. If things move too slowly, food stays in your gut for too long before moving on. This gives tomato skins more chance to show up in your poop. If things move too quickly, your body might not have enough time to break down the skin.

4. The Kind of Fiber in Tomatoes

Tomatoes have fiber which helps food move through your body, but doesn’t break down easily. Especially the skin, which has insoluble fiber that adds bulk to your poop and speeds up how fast things go through your intestines. When you eat lots of fiber, like from tomatoes, you’re more likely to see tomato skins in your poop.

5. Other Digestive Problems

Even though finding tomato skins in your poop usually isn’t a bad thing, it could be a sign of other digestive issues like:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can make food move too fast through your intestines.
• Celiac disease, which hurts your intestine and makes it hard to absorb nutrients.
• Diverticulitis, which creates small pockets in your intestinal walls that can trap food.
• Having surgery, like removing your gallbladder, which can change how your body digests food.

If you have one of these conditions, seeing tomato skins in your poop often might mean your condition is acting up.

When It’s Okay to See Tomato Skins in Your Poop

You’ll often find it’s fine to see a little bit of tomato skin in your poop sometimes. If this doesn’t happen a lot and there’s just a small amount, you shouldn’t worry.

Here are times when it’s not a worry to see bits of tomato peel in your poop:

• If you have eaten a lot of tomatoes in the last day or two, it makes sense you might see more skins.
• If the tomato skin was very thick, it might be harder to digest and show up in your poop.
• If you ate the tomatoes without cooking them. Cooking helps break down the skins, but eating them raw means your intestines have more work to do.
• If your poop is not very solid. When your poop is loose, you might see tomato skins more clearly.
• If you eat a lot of fiber. Fiber makes your poop move faster and bigger, so undigested pieces like tomato skins have less time to break down.
• If you don’t chew your tomatoes well. Breaking down the food in your mouth helps with digestion.

If you only see a little bit of tomato skin, it just shows you’re eating good, fibery food.

When Tomato Skins in Your Poop Are a Concern

Most of the time, a couple of tomato skins aren’t a big deal. But seeing a lot of them often could be a sign of a health problem. You should go see your doctor if you notice:

• Tomato skins in most of your poops
• Skins from vegetables like peppers showing up a lot too
• A bunch of skins grouped together
• More skins when you eat tomatoes raw compared to cooked
• Skins appearing all of a sudden without any change in your diet

These could be signs that your digestion isn’t working right, and you’ll need to get checked to find out why. Tell your doctor about what you eat, any problems you’re having, and if the skins come from raw tomatoes. Tests can help figure out if something like IBS, celiac disease, or diverticulitis is causing the problem.

How to Have Fewer Tomato Skins in Your Poop

If you’re tired of seeing tomato skins in your poop but there’s no serious cause, here’s what you can do:

• Chew more – Take your time eating tomatoes and chew them well. This way, the enzymes in your saliva have more time to start breaking down the skins.
• Cook your tomatoes – When you cook tomatoes in things like soups or sauces, or puree them, the skins get softer and are less noticeable.
• Eat fewer tomatoes – If you eat fewer tomatoes, there will be fewer skins to digest.Adjust your fiber – Try to eat more foods with soluble fiber, like oats, beans, fruits, and other vegetables, because this kind of fiber becomes a gel and makes it easier to digest the tough, insoluble skins.
• Consider enzymes – You might think about taking a digestive enzyme supplement with proteases, which are special enzymes that can break down proteins in the tomato’s cell walls.
• Improve stomach acid – If you don’t have enough stomach acid, talk to your doctor. You might be able to take betaine HCL supplements to help, but always get a doctor’s advice first.

Your doctor can tell you if these food tips and lifestyle changes are a good idea for you, based on your health history and the symptoms you’re having.

In Conclusion

Finding a tomato skin in your poop every now and then is normal and shouldn’t worry you. But if it’s happening a lot and you see a lot of skins, it’s important to pay attention to the details. A lot of skins or skins with other symptoms might need a doctor’s help.

When no medical problem is making this happen, changing what you eat can help reduce how much tomato skin you see in your poop. Remember that good chewing is important, as well as how you prepare the tomatoes and how much you eat.

Seeing tomato skins in your poop can be a bit gross, but it’s also a sign that your digestive system is doing its job. Eating mindfully can help make it less likely for those skins to show up over and over.