What Are The Side Effects Of Watermelon
But, if you eat too much watermelon, it can cause bloating, gas, flatulence, diarrhea, and other such stomach troubles. This is majorly due to the presence of sorbitol, which is a sugar compound, and lycopene, which gives the fruit its bright red color. Both substances promote gas problems and loose stools.
Milk Cheese And Yogurt
Dairy contains a type of sugar called lactose, but many people have trouble digesting it because they have insufficient amounts of an enzyme called lactase, explains Myers, which can lead to bloating, gas, or even constipation.
In fact, about 65 percent of people have trouble digesting dairy as they grow older, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
That doesnt necessarily mean youre completely lactose intolerant or allergic, though. Some people are merely sensitive to it, so you can try drinking reduced-lactose milk or taking lactase supplements to see if that eases your stomach problems, says Myers.
If you experience severe abdominal pain, though, you should check in with your doc, ideally a gastroenterologist, so you can rule out the possibility of other serious health issues, says Dr. Poppers.
How Much Watermelon Is Too Much
You may want to indulge in sweet and refreshing watermelon on a hot summer day.
Fortunately, watermelon is a safe and healthy fruit, and nutritionists have not defined an unsafe limit for its intake. You may only want to moderate your intake if you need to keep your blood sugar levels low.
Regarding its effect on blood sugar levels, a 4-cup serving of watermelon has a high glycemic index level and provides 46 grams of carbs, with 36 of those grams coming from sugar. This may cause a spike in your blood sugar levels .
If you want to stay on the safe side of sugar intake, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating about 2 cups of fruit per day for those on a standard 2,000-calorie diet, which translates to roughly 300 grams in the case of watermelon .
Summary
Theres no official upper limit for watermelon intake. However, try to limit your intake to 2 cups a day if youre not consuming other fruits.
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How Do You Get Rid Of The Bloat
Drinking too much water can lead to bloating. This is because the sodium in your body tends to concentrate in your abdomen. This happens because the sodium travels with the water in your system. So, a high concentration of sodium in your body means youve been drinking a lot of water. This can lead to bloating, stomach cramps, and even diarrhea. Drinking at least two cups of water each day can keep your body hydrated. But if youre looking for a way to get rid of the bloating, a watermelon seed extract is an effective way to do so. Watermelon seed extracts have a high concentration of citric acid, which helps reduce bloating. Plus, the citric acid works to help break down water retention in your body.
Gassy Fruits And Why They Cause Problems
Not everyone will be affected in the same way by the fruits on this list of potential bad gas promoters.
Certain problematic substances in apples and cherries for instance may be handled by your digestive system well, while the high fruit sugars in pears or pineapples could quickly causes bloating and gas for you.
Its best to consider the following list of gassy fruits as potential suspects, and use caution when eating large amounts of them, but dont stop eating a fruit completely until youve checked how it affects you using the method at the end of this article.
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Worst: Broccoli Cabbage And Kale
Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables and contain raffinose, or a sugar that remains undigested until bacteria in your gut ferment it. That produces gas and makes you bloat. However, eating them more often can actually help in the long run.
“Consistently eating nutrient-rich, high-fiber foods leads to having a stronger, healthier digestive system that’s less prone to bloating,” said Cynthia Sass, RD, Health contributing nutrition editor.
So keep eating the green veggies, but limit your portions. And if you absolutely can’t part ways with even a gram of kale, steam it.
“Cooking any vegetable softens the fiber and shrinks the portion as some of the water cooks out, so it takes up less space in the GI tract,” explained Sass. It won’t eliminate or prevent bloating altogether, but it may make your veggies easier to digest.
How Do You Get Rid Of Gas Quickly
Here are some quick ways to expel trapped gas, either by burping or passing gas.
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Yogurt That Is Super High In Sugar Can Cause Fermentation In Your Body
When it comes to yogurt, it all depends on what kind you’re consuming. Plain yogurt can actually help your stomach because it contains probiotics, which are known to regulate digestion.
However, if you’re eating flavored yogurt that’s high in sugar, you’ll have more fermentation going on in your body, which means more gas and bloating.
Leafy Greens Like Kale
Kale is another one of those perfect foods we should all be eating all the time. But it’s also part of the family of gas-causing veggies. “Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables, which contain raffinose a sugar that remains undigested until bacteria in your gut ferment it, which produces gas and, in turn, makes you bloat,” Petitjean said.
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Summer Foods That Help Stop Bloating
Theres certainly nothing worse than feeling bloated when youre at the beach or sitting by the pool. Really, feeling bloated is bad at any time! There are many factors that are involved in making us feel bloated, and one of those major influencers is the food we eat. Some foods that we eat can make us feel more bloated and uncomfortable, while others can have the opposite effect and make us feel slimmer and less like were carrying around extra water and weight .
Its important to remember that what foods affect one person may be completely different to how they affect someone else. So, its important to know what works best for you. To help you feel and look your best for the beach , heres a list of seven food items that can majorly help you fight that bloated feeling.
May Raise Your Blood Sugar Levels
In addition to its high FODMAP content, watermelon has a high glycemic index . Therefore, overeating watermelon may raise your blood sugar levels, which you should be particularly mindful of if you have diabetes.
The GI of a food measures its effects on your blood sugar during a 2-hour period. High GI foods tend to spike your blood sugar levels, while low GI foods produce a steady rise (
9 ).
As such, the GL tends to be a more accurate measure of a foods effect on your blood sugar levels.
The GL index also classifies foods into low, medium, or high. A count of less than 10 is considered low, 1119 is medium, and over 20 is considered high .
With a GL of 56 per cup , watermelons are classified as a low GL food meaning that regardless of their high GI status, a small, 1-cup serving wont cause any harm =& serving_size__filter=& carbs_per_serve_=& carbs_per_serve__filter==& gl_filter=” rel=”nofollow”> 11).
However, overeating watermelon will increase its GL, most likely leading to a spike in your blood sugar levels.
Watching your blood sugar is especially important if you have diabetes .
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Veggies That Contain Seeds
If you ever feel bloated after eating something seemingly benign it could be due to its pesky seeds. “While research on this has been varied, people with stomach issues have previously been told to avoid foods with seeds, with the thinking being that these food particles could block or irritate the diverticula, or small pouches that form in the colon wall,” said wellness expert Lauren Imparato on MindBodyGreen.com.
Why You Must Not Eat Watermelon At Night
Ayurveda does not recommend eating watermelon or any other fruit at night after 7 pm. This is because consuming fruits at night can lead to constipation or diarrhea the next morning. Also, due to high sugar content, eating watermelon at night can make you gain weight fast. The fruit is not friendly to the digestive system when taken at night and can cause irritable bowel syndrome. Our digestive system is sluggish at night, so avoid eating acidic and sugary foods.
The best time to eat watermelon is during the day, preferably before noon when the digestive system is active and raring to go. There are many other surprising things about watermelon.
First published on: 12 Mar 2021, 11:37 ISTTake this quiz to test your knowledge on how much you actually know about the harvest festival Lohri.
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Myths About Eating Too Much Watermelon
Overeating watermelon may present you with some unforeseen side effects. However, some side effects you may have heard are completely unfounded.
Some dubious sources claim overeating watermelon may lead to heart problems and overhydration. Neither claim is backed by science or likely to occur.
Whats more, dubious claims have been made alleging that watermelons potassium content may cause hyperkalemia. This condition is characterized by a slow heart rate, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and an irregular heartbeat.
Yet, youd have to eat a whole watermelon to exceed the recommended amount of potassium you should consume per day. Even so, research agrees that in people without kidney disease, your body adapts and excretes excess potassium through urine .
Nevertheless, people with heart failure, kidney disease, type 1 diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, and liver disease may have a hard time managing excess potassium .
Others have made claims about the dangers of overhydration an imbalance of fluids that may dilute electrolytes in your blood since watermelons comprise 92% water. However, theres no research to back this claim.
Summary
Overeating watermelon is very unlikely to cause overhydration or heart problems in healthy people. Yet, people with heart failure, kidney disease, type 1 diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, and liver disease are at higher risk of developing heart problems.
Best: Chicken And Fish
Some animal meats that pack a lot of protein, like chicken and fish, can help fend off excess gas and bloating.
Lean proteins, rather than high-fat proteins, especially promote digestive health in people who have IBS. For instance, red meats have a lot of fat, which makes your colon contract and increases bacteria in your colon.
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What Foods Cause You To Retain Water
Carbs such as bread, white rice, and pasta retain water, Cruise says. Try to cut down on carbs and your bloat will likely diminish. Replace carbs with good fats, like avocado and coconut oil, and avoid trans fats. Eating a low-carb diet flushes out water by reducing inflammation and glycogen levels, says Dean.
Digestive Discomfort And Cardiovascular Problems
In addition to diarrhea, eating too much watermelon may cause bloating and digestive distress. That’s mostly due to its high water content. If you eat three or four wedges in one serving, you’ll ingest about 27 to 36 ounces of water plus fiber. Therefore, it’s normal to feel bloated and gassy afterward.
Luckily, watermelon boasts high doses of vitamin C, which acts as a natural diuretic, reports Johns Hopkins Medicine. This means that you’ll eliminate the excess water quite fast and regain your flat tummy.
Other adverse reactions are related to high potassium intakes. Each serving of watermelon provides 7 percent of the daily recommended allowance for this mineral, so overdosing is unlikely.
However, if your diet is already high in potassium and you eat too much watermelon, you may develop hyperkalemia. Individuals with kidney disease or poorly controlled diabetes are at greater risk. The same goes for those taking medications that prevent the kidneys from excreting potassium.
According to the American Heart Association, excess potassium in the bloodstream may affect cardiovascular function, leading to arrhythmias . You may also experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, numbness and mood changes.
The best thing you can do is to prevent these issues in the first place. Enjoy watermelon in moderation as part of a healthy diet. Beware of its sugar content, too. If you overindulge, you might end up gaining weight.
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Why Do I Gain Weight After Eating Watermelon
Watermelon is a low-calorie food, containing only 46 calories per cup. According to the Mayo Clinic, it takes 3,500 calories to make a pound of body fat, so watermelon is not likely to contribute to weight gain. Because a cup of watermelon contains less than a gram of fat, it is also appropriate for a low-fat diet.
Best: Peppermint And Chamomile Teas
If you’re feeling puffy after dinner, you can sip on a hot cup of peppermint or chamomile tea. Both kinds relax GI muscles, per a study published in 2020 in the Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies, to help dissipate the gas that causes your stomach to bloat.
Aside from improving digestion, chamomile can also soothe and relax, which can help ease any sort of stomach discomfort.
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Best: Blueberries Grapes Raspberries And Strawberries
Other fruits that are good in moderation include blueberries, grapes, raspberries, and strawberries. While those tasty gems certainly satiate a sweet tooth, it’s important not to eat so many of them.
While those fruits pack fewer carbohydrates than some others, your body does not completely absorb the carbohydrates found in fruits very efficiently. Therefore, the more fruit you eat, the more likely you are to experience excess gas and bloating.
Popcorn Can Cause Bloating Mainly Because Of The Sheer Volume Consumed In A Sitting
There isn’t anything specific in this popular snack that causes bloating it’s simply the volume of popcorn that most people eat which causes your stomach to expand more than usual.
One serving of popcorn is anywhere from three to four cups. One cup is about the size of a tennis ball, which is a lot of popcorn for your stomach to hold.
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Causes Of Stomach Distension
By paying a little closer attention to your eating habits, you can help prevent excessive bloating. Heres a quick list of sneaky foods and habits that could be to blame:
Gum chewing. Your favorite breath-freshening pastime may be the number one cause for a straining waistband. When you chew gum, you swallow air which gets trapped in the GI system and extends the stomach.
Eating too fast. When you eat a large amount of food in a short period of time, your GI system doesnt have enough time to digest and dispel. A backed up system means a buildup of gas and fluid, causing distension.
Drinking from straws. When you go to sip a drink from a straw, you first suck in a straw-length volume of air, which ends up trapped in your stomach.
Not enough fiberor too much. Fiber is notorious for moving things along. When youre backed up, excess gas in your GI track cant escape, causing you to bloat. Next time you need a snack, reach for fibrous-skinned produce like apples and strawberries. Make sure to go easy on insoluble fibers like beans and lentils. Eating too much of these produces excessive gas.
Natural Home Remedies For Bloating
So what are some natural remedies for bloating then?
If youre looking to change your ways so that you can beat the bloat, here are some remedies to consider:
- Avoid eating too much fibre, but dont cut it out completely
- Start taking gut friendly bacteria
- Remember to keep hydrated
- Pay attention to your hormonal cycle
- Try to tackle any forms of stress
If youd like to know more about any of the above, check out our guide on 6 easy ways to beat bloating.
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Foods That Might Make You Bloat
From the most bloat-inducing foods to the least, we asked an expert to share her recipe for beating bloated stomach woes for good
What causes bloating? From the dietary to the non-dietary, irritable bowel syndrome to stress , a bloated belly could be due to a wide variety of reasons.
To a certain extent, an inflated post-meal stomach is completely normal and shouldnt give rise for concern . That said, if bloating after eating causes extreme discomfort or gas, it could be time to see your GP. Short-term solutions in the meantime can range from chewing your food until its almost liquid and avoiding drinking excessive water with meals so as not to dilute your stomach acid .
However, it might be worth looking to see if certain foods could be responsible. This can differ from person to person, but there are certain culinary culprits that are more common than others. We asked Dr Ayesha Akbar, Consultant Gastroenterologist from St. Marks Institute for Bowel Disease to help ID them as well as provide her recommendations of better bloat-free alternatives. Here are her top 10 picks.
Foods That Cause Bloating
On the other hand, here are the foods that may cause bloating in some people. Some of these foods cause bloating due to gas, and others cause bloating due to their sodium content, which can make you retain water.
Looking for some other ways to beat the bloat? Here are some ways to avoid bloating:
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