Some Hard To Digest Foods Are Commonly Known While Others Are Not
To alleviate digestive distress, start with food first.
We all know that if we consume large amounts of fatty, greasy, fried, salty or sweet foods, we are likely to trigger some form of digestive discomfort. This can range from slight churning in some to debilitating cramps and pain in others.
But other, less obvious hard to digest foods exist. These foods can also greatly upset the digestive system, causing rumbling, gas and pain.
Are Onions Hard On Your Stomach
Onions are hard to digest largely because they contain fructans, which are not absorbed well in the small intestine. In fact, as fructans ferment, they can cause a great deal of digestive distress in the form of bloating, gas and diarrhea. I recommend avoiding raw onions if your digestive system is sensitive.
What Gets Rid Of A Bloated Stomach
How to reduce bloating
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Foods That Cause Bloating And What To Eat Instead
Ever wake up with a flat stomach in the morning, only to bloat out like a hot air balloon right after you eat breakfastwithout understanding why? If youre suffering through each day feeling sluggish, tired, cramped and heavy, you may be interested to know that certain foods can cause bloating.
Bloating is the result of gas or fluid accumulating in your GI tract, or when bacteria in your large intestine have a hard time breaking down certain foods . The most common foods that produce digestive symptoms are high FODMAP foods.
What Do I Do If I Eat Some Of These Foods
You could also add in some carminatives to your meal to aid digestion when consuming these foods. Try not to restrict your diet by completely removing such foods from your diet, as they provide many essential nutrients and are important for overall gut health. So youve eaten one of these offending foods and are feeling like a beached whale! Now what?!
Carminatives are foods that have been known for centuries to help soothe the digestive tract and reduce bloating and flatulence. There are many herbs and spices with valuable carminative properties, such as star anise, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon balm, nutmeg, parsley, and peppermint.
Peppermint tea is a great go-to when youre feeling bloated and lethargic. Having some warm water with lemon juice may also help soothe your symptoms, since lemons are a natural diuretic and a gentle laxative. Consuming lemon water can help reduce the amount of salt retained in the body and reduce bloating due to fluid retention.
There are also a number of veggies such as celery, cucumber, spinach, and parsley that will help reduce fluid retention in the body. Cook your vegetables when youre feeling bloated, as the fiber structure is broken down once theyre cooked, making these foods easier to digest.
Getting plenty of probiotic rich foods into your diet will increase your healthy gut flora and can improve symptoms of bloating.
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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.
Keep Your Digestive System Humming Along By Eating Flat
Bloating is totally normal and common. There are a number of factors that contribute to bloatingincluding eating your food too quickly and menstrual bleeding.
But some foods pack a lot of carbohydrates, often contributing to excess gas that causes your stomach to feel tight.
And if you have conditions like irritable bowel syndrome , celiac disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth , or are non-celiac gluten or lactose intolerant, then those foods can further aggravate your digestive system.
That’s because our bodies cannot digest some of the carbohydrates found in those foods. Those foods are known as FODMAP foods.
FODMAP foods have carbohydrates that our small intestines cannot entirely absorb. There, the undigested carbohydrates accumulate, pulling in excess gas and liquid, the culprits of bloating.
Another molecule that some bodies cannot digest is gluten, a protein that the enzymes in our bodies are unable to entirely digest. Also, foods that pack a lot of fiber, like beans and broccoli, can also cause excess gas.
If you feel uncomfortably bloated after meals, it might be time to look at the types of foods you are eating. Foods that cause bloating include:
Instead, try low-FODMAP foods that may help alleviate bloating. Foods that don’t cause bloating include:
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What Causes Stomach Bloating
The last meal you ate is sitting deep inside of your belly right now, churning and breaking down in a soup of acid and enzymes. Its a digestive process that typically moves things along pretty efficiently.
Some food, though, tends to linger longer than it should in your winding intestinal track. Food that sits begins to decompose and ferment.
The result? Youre going to get some gassiness, says Czerwony.
That bloated feeling you get after eating certain foods is essentially those gasses building up internally. Basically, youre inflating like a balloon which can suddenly make you feel like youre about to burst.
Pay Attention To Various Forms Of Sugar
Just about everything we eat daily contains sugar. Sugar alcohols like xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol have FODMAP properties and can lead to bloating, says Lindsey Bristol, M.S., R.D., author of The Sexy Abs Diet. The body has a hard time digesting these artificial sweeteners, which can lead to a bloated stomach. Instead, explore healthier food swaps to reduce bloat, such as stevia, agave, or natural honey, and limit them as much as possible.
Watch out for hidden sources of sugar in your regular diet, too. Processed foods, such as breakfast cereals, protein bars, and condiments, including ketchup, tomato sauce, and marinades can contain sugar in other forms. Read labels and opt for cleaner versions of products that have minimal sugar and additives. Eat whole foods as much as possible.
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Bloating : Why You Feel Bloated
Peter Jaret Carol DerSarkissian, MD
Bloating, gassiness, and abdominal discomfort arenât limited to the occasional holiday feast. It can happen even if you havenât eaten a large meal. In some cases, bloating can even cause distention, or a perceptible swelling of the abdomen.
Bloating and gas are usually not signs of a serious health problem. They’re tied to what and how you eat, so a few simple changes may help.
Can Onions Irritate Acid Reflux
Another issue with certain foods is acid reflux.
Acid reflux can be alleviated once it occurs by drinking certain common formulas designed for it.
However, are onions known to make acid reflux worse?
Onions can irritate acid reflux, and many people find they are a trigger for acid reflux.
But, it doesnt irritate or trigger acid reflux in all people.
Therefore, it may affect you differently.
Some people find that raw onions cause acid reflux but cooked onions dont.
Others also find that other vegetables in the onion family dont cause acid reflux and its only onions in particular.
So, you could flavor your dishes with other vegetables in the onion family that have a very similar taste such as garlic, or leeks.
There are some vegetables in the onion family that are quite common such as garlic which virtually everyone has heard of.
But, others are a bit more confusing such as scallions which are also called green onions, and spring onions.
Many people wonder what the difference is between them, and how the flavor differs from that of a normal onion.
I explained the flavor of each, and ranked them based on how strong of an onion flavor they have in this article about whether leeks are onions.
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Remedies And Treatments For Bloating
Once a cause of bloating is established, the symptom can be treated. Depending on your doctorâs findings, he or she may suggest one of the following remedies for bloating:
Eating Slowly
Eating too quickly causes you to swallow more air, which can lead to gas and bloating. Eating slowly can help reduce bloating. Additionally, slowing your eating can make you feel full, faster, helping you avoid overeating, which can lead to bloating.
Changing Your Diet
If you notice a trend in certain foods causing you to bloat, try reducing or eliminating those foods from your diet. Foods that commonly cause bloating are wheat, beans, lentils, garlic, onions, and asparagus. Milk and dairy foods can also cause bloating, as some people have a hard time digesting a sugar they contain called lactose.
Antacids
Antacidscan reduce bloating by allowing gas to pass more easily through your digestive tract. Do note, however, that antacids are only effective for bloating caused by food.
Antidepressants
Researchers have found that certain antidepressants can affect the way your body reacts to gas, keeping it from overreacting to its presence.
Less Fiber
Eating too much fiber is one of the most common reasons for bloating. Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet, but it can cause a lot of gas in your digestive system because your body cannot digest it. The key with fiber is to eat it in moderation. Foods high in fiber include beans, lentils, broccoli, whole wheat, apples, berries, and quinoa.
Take Smaller Bites And Chew Thoroughly
Rushed eating with large mouthfuls often leads to poor digestion and increases the chance of food fermenting in the bowel and causing too much flatulence.
Chewing your food thoroughly mixes in saliva which starts off proper digestive processes. It also makes it easier for your stomach to break down your meal and lessens the chance of food reaching the lower intestine only partially digested.
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Does Drinking Water Help With Bloating
While it may seem counterintuitive, drinking water may help to reduce bloat by ridding the body of excess sodium, Fullenweider says. Another tip: Be sure to drink plenty of water before your meal too. This step offers the same bloat-minimizing effect and can also prevent overeating, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Digestive Problems From Onions & Garlic
Eating onions and garlic regularly may give you a wide array of health benefits, from preventing cancer and heart disease to treating infections, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. But if you let your excitement about these pungent vegetables’ benefits cause you to overindulge in them, you may experience some digestive problems. The key to enjoying onions and garlic is to eat them in moderation.
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Sucking On Candy Or Chewing Gum
Chewing gum and sucking on hard candies may seem like a harmless habit, but it can cause you to swallow excess air, which can lead to bloat. And if you typically reach for the sugar-free options, you’re in even bigger trouble: Sugarless breath fresheners contain sorbitol, a sugar alcohol known for causing bloating and other gastrointestinal distress. To refresh your breath after meals and ward off bloating, make yourself a cup of peppermint tea. The brew is a common home remedy for flatulence and can also relieve pain and discomfort from gas and bloating.
Eating Onions And Garlic In Moderation
You may experience digestive problems from eating large quantities of onions, so be creative about ways you can include onions in your diet regularly without eating lots of onions all at once. The University of Maryland Medical Center advises eating garlic in moderation to avoid side effects like digestive problems, and recommends eating between two and four fresh garlic cloves per day, chopping them before cooking them.
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Common Foods That Make You Bloat
For some people, abdominal bloating is not only embarrassing, its also a source of extreme physical discomfort.
If its a common occurrence for your stomach to excessively expand, particularly after eating, making you feel as though your distended belly has the entire Atlantic ocean swooshing around inside it, then it might be worthwhile taking a closer look at your diet. Most gastroenterologists agree that, provided youre not suffering from a medical condition such as heart or liver disease or IBD, then the likely cause of your abdominal bloating is a build up of intestinal gas.
People often find that although theyre eating healthily and, what they believe to be, all the right foods, theyre continuing to suffer from frequent stomach discomfort and ballooning. Theres nothing worse than puffing up after a delicious and healthy meal and ending up feeling like the Michelin Man on steroids.
To help you understand why this may be the case and to narrow down what you might find is a common cause, Ive compiled a list of 10 common foods that could be the cause of your stress-inducing belly bloat. Its important to note that everyones digestive system is unique, and its unlikely that youll react to all of these foods. The best method for determining your inflatable culprits is to experiment with trial and error. Serving sizes may also come into play, as you could possibly be able to tolerate these foods, but only in restricted quantities.
Onion Intolerance And Allergic Reactions
Typically, allergies produce a standard set of symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, allergies tend to cause issues like:
In some cases, allergies can be so severe that they close the airways and cause sudden drops in blood pressure. This is a sign of anaphylactic shock, which requires urgent medical care.
According to a November 2014 study in the Recent Patents on Inflammation and Allergy Drug Discovery Journal, onion allergies don’t always produce the same symptoms compared to regular allergies. Instead, an onion allergy may result in health issues like dermatitis, asthma, and gum, eye and nose diseases.
Onions can also cause pollen-food allergy symptoms when ingested, because they have similar proteins to mugwort pollen. Essentially, this means that if you are allergic to mugwort pollen, you may react to onions, garlic and a variety of other fruits, vegetables and spices.
If you’re experiencing onion indigestion, it’s likely that you have a type of onion sensitivity. Such onion sensitivity often causes gastrointestinal symptoms like indigestion and can be from either or both immune responses or intolerance.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may need to eliminate onions from your diet entirely. However, if your onion sensitivity is mild, you may simply need to find out the maximum amount you can consume before experiencing gastrointestinal side effects.
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Wheat And Other Whole Grains
Wheat and other whole grains, excepting rice, all contain raffinose along with large amounts of fiber. Both of these can lead to increased gas and bloating.
Some whole grains, such as wheat, barley, and rye, also contain a protein called gluten. Some individuals are sensitive to gluten and may experience gas and bloating after eating it.
Gluten sensitivities range from non-celiac gluten sensitivity to celiac disease, which is a serious autoimmune disorder.
What Happens If You Eat Too Much Onion
Onions may cause symptoms of gastrointestinal upset, such as heartburn, bloating, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting, in susceptible individuals, which may aggravate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in affected individuals. These symptoms are relatively more common when eating onions raw rather than cooked.
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Do Certain Foods Cause Bloating
Absolutely, says Czerwony and shes willing to name names. So, here are 15 foods that can give you that swollen feeling, plus ways to maybe avoid the pain.
Beans
Its hardly a surprise to see beans atop the list of bloat-causing foods. After all, the legendary powers of this legume have even captured the attention of lyricists: Beans, beans, the musical fruit
Science is behind that tune, explains Czerwony. Many types of fiber-rich beans are packed with carbohydrates and more specifically sugars called oligosaccharides. These sugars dont digest gently.
Ultimately, that process leads to fermentation and plenty of gas, which has been known to occasionally escape in a trumpet-like blast.
Tips to try: Soaking nutrition-rich beans in water ahead of mealtime can take some of the fight out of the oligosaccharides and make them easier to digest. Also, some beans tend to be less demanding on your system.
Lentils
Lentils are also legumes, so its basically the same story as beans .
Tips to try: Soaking lentils can work wonders. Also, heart-healthy lentils come in a rainbow of hues. Lighter-colored lentils tend to have less fiber than their darker counterparts, which makes them easier to digest.
Dairy
Did you know that 3 out of 4 people eventually lose the ability to digest lactose, the main carbohydrate in dairy? Lactose intolerance can cause bloating and other pretty significant digestive problems.
Carbonated beverages
Wheat/rye/barley
Cruciferous vegetables
Onions
Garlic