Because of this, feces sometimes float to the top

The stool is not always the same. Consistency, color and smell vary – and sometimes it can even swim. When is this no longer normal?

The most important things at a glance


Stool, also called faeces in medicine, is the end product of the digestive process in the intestine. Depending on your diet, the appearance and amount of bowel movements will differ from day to day.

Normal stool consists mostly of water and intestinal secretions. The solid part consists of undigested food residues as well as shed mucous membrane cells of the intestine and microorganisms of the intestinal flora. It is yellowish to brown and has a rather soft consistency. However, certain factors can affect the quality of the stool.

Harmless causes of floating stool

Due to the solid components of the stool, it usually has a higher density than water – and therefore sinks in the water when you go to the toilet. However, some factors can affect the density of the feces, causing it to float or even float in the water. This is usually for harmless reasons, such as:

  • fiber: If there is a high proportion of light plant fibers, such as from vegetables or whole grains, this can make the stool buoyant.
  • digestive gases: Natural bacteria in the intestinal flora form harmless digestive gases, which can manifest themselves as temporary flatulence or gas bubbles in the stool. Here, too, an increased fiber content in the food can be the reason. They serve as food for the intestinal bacteria.
  • Fett: After very high-fat meals, it can happen that not all fat molecules are absorbed through the intestines. High-fat stools are less dense and can therefore float.

Morbid causes of floating stool

The reasons for floating stool are not always harmless. Certain diseases can also hide behind it:

  • intolerances: If nutrients such as lactose cannot be properly digested due to an enzyme deficiency, this can lead to increased gas formation by bacteria in the large intestine. Such an intolerance can manifest itself as flatulence or gas bubbles in the stool. This gives the droppings buoyancy.
  • gastrointestinal infection: Growth of the wrong bacteria in the small intestine can disrupt fat digestion or cause increased gas formation. Both can cause the chair to float.
  • celiac disease: In this chronic disease, the immune system mistakenly reacts to the gluten protein in wheat and related grains. This causes inflammation in the small intestine, which damages the cells there. Fat and other nutrients from the food pulp can then not be properly absorbed. In this way, more fat is excreted in the stool.
  • Inflammatory bowel diseases: Other inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease can also lead to impaired absorption of fat through damage to the intestinal wall. Here, too, the result is high-fat, possibly floating faeces.
  • Pancreatitis: When the pancreas is inflamed, cells responsible for producing digestive enzymes can die. If these enzymes are deficient, fat digestion in particular is disrupted. The result: the stool contains an excessive amount of fat and therefore floats.
  • pancreatic cancer: Also, when the pancreas is damaged by tumor cells, there can be a lack of digestive enzymes and excess fat in the faeces.
  • cystic fibrosis: With this metabolic disease, the body secretions are very viscous. This damages not only the lungs but also the digestive system, especially the pancreas. It is clogged with thick mucus. As a result, the digestive enzymes are no longer released into the small intestine in sufficient quantities and fat digestion is restricted.

In particular, if the abnormal bowel movements occur frequently or in combination with other symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhea, you should have a doctor examine you.

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