Fecal Incontinence (FI) is a debilitating and common condition with a prevalence ranging from 7-15% in community dwelling women. FI has an immense impact on quality of life and is associated with increased care giver burden, increased rates of institutionalization, and significant cost burden in older women. Traditionally believed to be primarily caused by child birth injury, recent studies show that the typical age of onset of FI is age 40 which is remote from child birth. Treatment options for FI are limited because the mechanism underlying FI in older women are poorly understood. The overriding goal of this project is to investigate the relationship between diet, stool metabolites and fecal incontinence.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age greater than 18,
• parous women with fecal incontinence (defined as any uncontrolled loss of liquid or solid fecal material that occurs at least monthly over the last 3 months that is bothersome enough to desire treatment),
• current negative colon cancer screening

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current bloody diarrhea,
• current or past diagnosis of colorectal or anal malignancy,
• diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease,
• recent antibiotic treatment,
• history of immune deficiency diseases,
• history of recent treatment with immune suppressant medications.

Women with fecal incontinence from an outpatient GYN clinic.