Trouble Digesting Corn? Here's what Your Body's Trying to Tell You

1. It's the Fiber

Corn is a rich source of cellulose, a type of insoluble fiber the body can't break down, per the National Library of Medicine. Cellulose passes through your digestive system mostly unchanged, adding bulk to stool and helping it move through the intestines.

One cup of sweet corn provides 3.3 grams of fiber, which is about 13 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults assigned female at birth and close to 9 percent for those assigned male at birth, according to the National Institutes of Health.

2. You Have a Carb-Related Condition

Sweet corn is a high-carbohydrate food, with about 27 grams per cup, per the USDA. This includes three types of carbs: fiber, starch and sucrose. All three can cause digestive problems for certain people.

As its name suggests, sweet corn is full of natural sugars. It has small amounts of maltose, glucose and fructose, but the sugar content is primarily sucrose.

People with a genetic disorder called congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID) are unable to break down sucrose and maltose, which can cause watery diarrhea from corn, as well as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting and reflux-like symptoms. This disorder can also cause malabsorption of other nutrients, leading to more serious nutritional problems.

How to Deal With Digestion Problems From Corn

If you experience digestive problems from sweet corn, you may need to limit your intake or cut corn out of your diet altogether.

If your problem is eating too much and getting an overdose of fiber, simply limit yourself to a single serving at a time. If you haven't been eating a lot of fiber, start with a small serving and gradually increase your intake over a few weeks. Your body should adjust, and the digestive side effects should resolve.

If you have a carbohydrate intolerance that's made worse by eating sweet corn, you will need to strictly limit or avoid it. Your doctor can make a diagnosis using various tests including endoscopic biopsy or a breath hydrogen test. If you test positive, you will also need to limit or avoid other carbohydrate-rich foods that contain the suspect nutrients.