I'd say you aren't chewing them first and foremost or they wouldn't be so large, and second your body isnt able to digest them because they aren't chewed enough.

Try 'consciously' chewing them and see if that changes anything. If not, I'd say try grinding them into a smaller size, chew and see again....if not, no nuts for you if its causing you distress! (although you didnt really say they are causing you any digestive distress, but I'm betting they could in time!)

Anything not digested at the end of your digestion is likely something you need to chew more or determine if your body just can't handle it.

Humans cannot digest the cellulose in all plants, which is why eating raw vegetables is useless. If you are eating raw nuts, this will be tough on your digestive system. I prepare any nuts by first soaking them in a bowl of salt water for about 8 hours (this reduces the phytic acid and other anti-nutrients), then slow roast them in the oven at a low temperature (150º F or less) for another 8 -12 hours.

At this point they will be more digestible. It is a lot of work, but the only way you will get any nutrition from the nuts and not damage your intestines. I usually put them in a frying pan with butter and heat them just enough to melt the butter and coat the nuts and then salt them. No food should pass undigested through the colon - we were not designed for that. High fiber diets are misguided and not as healthy as they have been marketed.

Cellulose is the cell membrane of most plants and is an indigestible carbohydrate. Ruminant animals have bacteria in their stomachs to help them digest cellulose, humans do not. Ruminants also chew their food several time, regurgitating it as "cud" - humans do not have that capability. We can, however, break down the cellulose by cooking vegetables or fermenting them. Otherwise, we get very little from raw vegetables. Since my intestinal transplant, my intestines are extremely sensitive and I cannot even eat salads anymore. I can digest raw fruits, but not vegetables. I cook or ferment all my vegetables.

It means your digestive system is working properly! Your body doesn't break down the nuts any farther than you have chewed them.

Yeah you're supposed to chew nuts before swallowing them. That's the problem. And whoever was talking about eating raw vegetables being useless because of the cellulose, you're a little misinformed. It goes back to the chewing thing. CHEWING vegetables will break down much of the cellulose and allow you to absorb the nutrients. So no, eating raw vegetables is NOT useless.

Bear grills once rinsed off bear poop to eat the nuts and seeds in the poop. True story.

You could soak them first, some folks claim that removes the chemicals that make them undigestible.

lmao... this was a funny thread. I once went to a chinese herbalist who said my body was "cold" and I needed to eat more "warm" foods... yeah, I'll spare you the details... anyways she said because of this I wasn't digesting all my food the way I was meant to... But I have the same problem as well.

I chew them until they feel like liquid in my mouth and they still come out in pieces, so my belief is that they don't digest well.

so I would say: normal AND a sign you shouldn't eat them

It might be normal and a sign you wouldn't want to eat them. Normal isn't ideal, or necessarily good at all.

Thanks everyone - good to know!!!....I too eat lots of peanuts and almonds I was concerned that maybe I had a tape worm and I was passing bits/eggs.... oy!!!! I'll lay off the nuts for a few days and see if that makes a difference!!!

It's normal. I'll spare you the details. It's normal. :)

Chew more. Chew less. Swallow them whole if you want. It happens.

I used to eat walnuts "for my health" -- but I hate their flavor. So I'd break them into small pices and swallow them like "jagged little pills".

They came out like "jagged little pills" too.

Perfectly normal.