A lot of parents have reported seeing a sandy-like substance in their child’s stool. They are not sure where it is coming from and express concerns over its cause. There are a couple of explanations for sandy stools. One of the most common scenarios with sandy stools is a problem with bile acid formation. Bile acids are necessary for fat soluble vitamin absorption. When there is a bile acid problem through the liver you can end up creating a situation where there is a sandy-like substance that accumulates in the stools. One of the common remedies of sandy stools is an amino acid called Taurine. Taurine helps with bile acid formation through the liver and giving Taurine, sometimes 250 – 500 mg per day, can help remedy sandy stools. Another thing that can contribute to sandy stools is a high level of oxalates. Oxalates are organic compounds that are found in many different types of foods. We know that in adults who have a rapid absorption of oxalates it can leave them predisposed to kidney stones. These oxalates can complex with different minerals and can create a crystal like formation that can appear to be sandy-like in appearance. So to recap, the sandy-like substance can sometimes be remedied with supplementing between 250 – 500 mg of Taurine. Or it could be a situation with oxalates causing sandy stools. You can find more information about oxalates at www.lowoxalate.info. I have more information on oxalates on my biomedical website at www.autismactionplan.org. You can also access more oxalate information from Dr. William Shaw from Great Plains Laboratories on the oxalate issues and Autism at www.greatplainslaboratories.com.